Nathaniel Bassey is a Nigerian gospel singer who began his career as a jazz trumpeter but abandoned secular performance to concentrate on Christian music and ministry. ∙ Bassey’s first big break was a two-year stint as trumpeter and band leader with the Steve Rhodes Orchestra, founded by Fela Kuti’s former manager. ∙ The video for his 2012 single “Imela. ‘Thank You’ (feat. Enitan Adaba)” has garnered more than 45 million views. ∙ In 2013, he founded Lagos, Nigeria’s Trumpet and Ministerial Academy, where he mentors young students both musically and spiritually. ∙ Since 2017, he’s held an annual Halleluyah Challenge, a month-long, hour-a-day music-and-worship program on social media that’s attracted over 600,000 participants each year.