Ntokozo Mbambo

South African gospel dynamo Ntokozo Mbambo scored her first big hit in 2015 with "Jehovah Is Your Name", stretching out the nine-word praise song for more than seven minutes of ascending energy—and racking up 31 million video views in the process. It was a powerful introduction to her incantatory, over-the top style. Born in the Umlazi township of KwaZulu-Natal in 1985, Mbambo sang on Mthunzi Namba's first album, Let It Rain, at just 13 years old. Two years later, she became the youngest member of the popular gospel group Joyous Celebration, which Namba co-founded. Known for her smiling presence and extensive vocal range, Mbambo released her own debut, Bambelela, in 2001, and has since released several albums and DVDs of galvanising live material sung in Zulu and English. They include The Anniversary Project, an album of duets with her musician husband, Nqubeko Mbatha, and, in 2019, The First Noël, a live album of Christmas classics and fan favourites from her own repertoire.