Ghanaian musician William Ansah, known by his stage name Wan-O, has shared that his song Elavanyo played a life-saving role in preventing a young woman from taking her own life. He revealed that the track was deeply inspired by his own personal struggles and experiences.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show, Wan-O disclosed that Elavanyo was birthed during a period when he felt his sense of purpose was slipping away. He described the song as a product of deep introspection and a turning point that helped him rediscover meaning and direction in life.
“It’s one of the very early songs. Yes, it’s on the first album that I started moving. I started giving to people for support and everything. Elavanyo means it shall be well. I wrote that song when I was working at the bank. You get it? At that time, I was going through a lot of emotions.
“I was sort of in a dark place. I felt like my purpose in life was passing me by. I just decided to pour all my pain. I don’t say frustrations because I wasn’t frustrated by all my pain on paper. I spoke about everything that I felt went wrong in my life. Everything that God has made right in my life.
Speaking on the emotional depth of Elavanyo, Wan-O said that each verse is intentionally structured to reflect his journey, “The first six bars capture the pain, and the second half highlights what God is doing in my life,” he said. “I talked about my dad, my early school days when I began rapping, where I found myself at a difficult point in life, and affirmed where I hoped to be.”
“You get where I’m coming from. Surprisingly, I was doing it for me. I was doing it to express myself. A few years after this, somebody hit me up on Facebook. A female telling me about how this song saved her from committing suicide. She was going through a lot. This song made her feel like she’s not alone, but everything will be okay. You understand what I’m saying? When I keep meeting people, how this song has actually lifted them up from dark times. I go to the most random places and somebody approaches me,” he added.
Wan-O further stated how Elavanyo holds deep sentimental value, not only for himself but for his family. He recounted how the song resonated with his mother during a trip to the United States, where a friend of hers expressed how profoundly the track had touched her life.
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