South Africa’s Sipho Ngwenya is beloved for many reasons, and chief among them is the pastor’s gloriously booming voice. It is an ecstatic instrument, one that never fails to launch Mzansi audiences and congregations right out of their seats. As with most of the nation’s great gospel vocalists, Ngwenya began cultivating his talents as a child. Born in Vosloorus township, south of Johannesburg, he split time between singing in choirs and drumming at the High Praise Centre Church, where he met a legend, Pastor Benjamin Dube, who further nurtured his love of Christ and music. In 2014, he struck out on his own, dropping the electrifying Ngingo Wakho set. Several more live albums have followed, all of them successfully capturing Ngwenya’s inimitable style: fervent worship of the Lord married to music that expertly straddles the lines between tradition and innovation. This latter quality is nearly as important as his powerful singing. A perennial favourite like “Jesu Ufik’ekuseni” demonstrates Ngwenya’s rare gift for crafting music that boldly cuts across generational lines.