Bucy Radebe

When South Africa’s Bucy Radebe dropped Spiritual Encounter in 2020, it represented the arrival of a sublime gospel voice that had been nurtured since childhood. Born Phumulani Asnath Radebe in 1987, she grew up north of Pretoria, where she was a confident singer by age three and was participating in school and church music programmes at age 10. It was in the latter’s youth choir that Radebe developed a passion for the timeless hymns prominently featured in her spirited live sets. Professional breaks arrived in the 2010s when Radebe, already respected for her acrobatic style, backed up a string of gospel stars, including Word Praise Christian Centre International pastor Solly Mahlangu, and contributed to the vaunted Spirit of Praise collective. But while this speaks to the importance of tradition in her musical outlook, Radebe also embraces innovation, a key example being 2021’s “Gcina Impilo Yami”, a bold fusion of gospel and dance music from Kwaito producer DJ Cleo.