Kholeka Dubula has been a key voice within South Africa’s thriving gospel scene since the arrival of her 1997 debut album, Khilikithi. In the 2000s, she left her label, Bula Music, to strike out on her own, self-releasing her work through Kholeka Music Productions. The singer, who was born in Umtata in the Eastern Cape province, specialises in South African hymns and emotive worship ballads—most of them sung in her first language of Xhosa. While her discography is an essential component of the South African praise songbook, Kholeka’s explorations of soul and jazz, especially in her late-2010s work, has helped her work resonate with listeners beyond her core fanbase.