Neyi Zimu

Few gospel singers have brought as many diverse diaspora influences into their sound as South Africa's Neyi Zimu. Born Moses Gcinumuzi in 1970, he hailed from Evaton Small Farms, a township in Gauteng province's Vaal Triangle. After spending a decade as a radio sound engineer, Zimu co-founded the popular Christian acts Family Factory and Joyous Celebration, and became the founding pastor of the All Nations Revival Ministries in Midrand. Arguably best known for his epic "Jehova Retshepile Wena,” Zimu possessed a powerful and soulful voice that left no doubt about his devotion. He released his debut album, Excited, in 2001, then tried to outdo himself with each subsequent release, introducing calypso and soukous sounds into tracks with gospel super collective Spirit of Praise, and evoking Bob Marley's spirit in the title track of what would be his final album, Another Level of Worship, before his untimely death from lymphoma in 2019.