Can Music Really Heal the Soul? Desola’s Journey from Pain to Praise
Written by Praise Afolabi on 2nd May 2025
This week’s Arise with Eloho, on Heartsong live radio, was joined by the award-winning Nigerian gospel artiste whose music is deeply rooted in personal healing, faith, and the transformative power of community.
From a humble beginning in Ibadan, Nigeria, to becoming a voice of hope to many, Desola shares her inspiring journey, navigating through life’s hurdles through the gift of music. Her songs “Lily of the Valley” and “Rainfall” carry a strong message: no matter how dark the season, you can rise, heal, and love again.
From Ibadan Streets to Global Streams
Desola didn’t grow up in a religious home. Her mother was a businesswoman who owned a
supermarket right beside a recording shop in Ibadan. That’s where the seed was planted. She’d sit in front of the shop, listening to Ebenezer Obey and Bola Are. Songs that spoke to the soul. And somehow, even though no one around her was talking about destiny. Music found her.
She never imagined she had a “special voice.” She didn’t think she could sing at all. But the
community saw what she couldn’t yet embrace. Encouragement came from people who kept
asking her to sing and then to lead.
In 2014, she took the leap of faith and released her debut album, “Rest.” It sold out.
“I didn’t chase it. Music chased me. Even when I didn’t believe in my voice, others saw it.
Pain, Purpose, and the Power of God: How Pain Became Purpose
Desola doesn’t just write about hope, she has lived it.
She has fought through seasons of near-homelessness.
She has been a mom, impoverished, ostracized, and shattered.
She has endured what so many women silently carry: trauma, disillusionment,
abandonment.
But even in the midst of it, she writes, God never left her. He met with her in the silence, in the song, in the integrity of her brokenness.
“Music didn’t just help me, it led me to salvation,” she says.
It is not perfection. It is present. Desola’s music occupies the world with God’s presence.
The Message In The Music
Her music, like “Lily of the Valley”, “I Will Not Dare”, “Never Lost a Battle”, and the just-released “Rainfall” is more than songs. They’re statements of fact. All utter a word to the weary heart: “You’re not too broken. You’re not too late. You can heal. You can rise.”
And they are hearing her. Her songs are now touching lives across the globe on YouTube, Spotify, and concert floors. But Desola says the best reward isn’t the streams or the praise. It’s when someone tells her, “Your song helped me get through the night.”
Why Knowing Your ‘Why’ Matters
Finding your “why” can feel impossible. Especially in a world filled with pressure, pain, and constant comparison, when life throws curveballs that leave you questioning everything. But Desola’s perspective offers clarity and calm in the chaos.
Expectations are always being set by society, by others, and even by our own fears. The real struggle is that many of us are chasing a version of purpose that doesn’t truly belong to us
us.
“It’s not that we don’t have a purpose. We often just doubt it or don’t know how to validate it. But your why lives in the things that stir you, whether it’s joy, pain, or a deep sense of responsibility.”
It starts with asking the right questions:
What moves me?
What do I feel drawn to, again and again?
What do others naturally come to me for?
Purpose isn’t always loud.
No, it isn’t! It’s hidden in the quiet moments when no one is watching. And when life feels uncertain, purpose won’t always shout; it might whisper. In those times, alignment matters more than applause.
“Your purpose won’t always be tied to recognition. It’s about obedience. Staying faithful to what God has placed inside you, even when it doesn’t make sense yet.”
Whether it’s through music, teaching, mentoring, or simply being a light in your everyday circle. Your Purpose is valid. And it’s not cancelled by pain. Your deepest pain might be the soil where your purpose takes root.
You Are the Light
If you’ve been hiding, hesitating, or feeling overlooked, it could be your sign. You don’t need a mic or an album to shine. You just need to show up in your community, speak life into someone, and use the gift you’ve been given. Even your story, your survival, can be someone else’s lifeline.
So as you listen to “Rainfall” by Desola today, let it water the dry places in your soul.
Let it remind you:
You’re still here. You’re still shining. And your healing can become someone else’s hope.
Stream Desola’s music
Listen to Love and Light, Rainfall, Lily of the Valley, and more on Spotify, YouTube, and all major streaming platforms.
Follow her on social media [@desolamusic].
Now It’s Your Turn
What about you?
Has music ever carried you through a tough season, when words couldn’t reach your heart?
But a melody did?
Has community ever helped you rediscover your voice, your gift, or your confidence?
Share your story.
Your journey might be the light someone else needs. Please comment or send us a
message. Let’s keep spreading love, light, and healing together.
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