The unexpected death of Ray Phiri this week has left a void in the live-music stage.

Phiri's antics, presence and agility made him a concert favourite.

Not only was he phenomenal as a vocalist, but he left his soul on every stage he climbed.

Legions of fans who followed his career from Stimela days were instrumental in resuscitating the band's career around 2010.

Chief among them was legal eagle Tumi Mokwena, who went on to become Julius Malema's legal counsel. Mokwena ditched the chambers and became a music merchant as he brought back the magic of Stimela. He reminisces about his time with the man fondly known as Chikapa.

Mzwakhe Mbuli has 'steered clear' of Ray Phiri's familyRay Phiri’s family have confirmed that poet Mzwakhe Mbuli has not reached out to them in the wake of ‘funeral scam’ claims that have been leveled against him. 

"My nickname for him was Genius. We'd have a midweek rehearsal where the band struggled with some notes. He would walk in, and in no time, diagnose the problem and direct the band within a minute. He was very musical."

Mokwena started working with Stimela in 2009, and they released an album in 2010.

"My initial involvement was not to manage them or record with them. I had seen them at a festival and I thought they could be doing much better.

"I spoke to Ray about organising a series of shows so that they could make a profit and I'd make my money back.

Ray Phiri's wife finding it hard to copeRabelani Phiri, the widow of Ray Phiri, is said to be very saddened and finding it hard to cope with the death of her husband. 

"When we spoke he discovered how much I loved the band and he immediately offered me to manage them. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but this was an offer I wasn't going to refuse."

Mokwena had been disturbed by seeing his icons sitting in a kombi for hours, waiting for their turn to perform.

"It was clear that they were not doing well. I remember asking them how much they made per show, it was R25 000 that was to be shared between seven members, including backing vocalists.

"I found that to be unpalatable. I was sad when I left that show. There wasn't much I could do, but I knew that when I did well in life I would look for them and do something with them."

Miriam Makeba taught Ray Phiri how cook a 'nca' mealRay Phiri spent his last days doing the two things he loved most: cooking and playing music for his family. The musician was a whizz in the kitchen and didn’t let anybody interfere once he started preparing dishes — his impressive culinary skills were thanks to Miriam Makeba‚ who taught him how to cook. 

Fast forward to 2010, Mokwena had financial muscle to put the band up in a house in Polokwane where they had chefs cooking for them and were given star treatment.

"He liked cooking and fancied himself a chef. He was competitive with the chefs in the house. He liked fish and Indian cuisine.

"When we were together driving long distance, I realised that that man loved music. We played different artists, but his favourite was the American jazz rock band Steely Dan."

Stimela's last album A Lifetime was released in 2011 and Mokwena continued to manage them until 2014 when he quit music and returned to law.

"Bra Ray wore his heart on his sleeve. You knew when he was good or not. But my one enduring memory of him is of seeing him perform live.

"Bra Ray was courageous. He managed to take on the system with his music and that wasn't easy. His genius will live on forever. We will be playing his songs 30 years from now and they will still be fresh."

"He used to be the last to leave the studio and the first to arrive the next day. When he got there he organised breakfast so that we could eat before we recorded. Even in the studio he made sure people enjoyed themselves."

Joe says Phiri was known for using big English words.

"Bra Ray used to read a lot of books and share the knowledge with us. Most of the words he used, he got them from the books he read. We learned a lot from him."

Businessman Jazzman Mahlakgane who worked with Phiri in his music initiative at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, defined Phiri as humble.

"As a musician he was disciplined. He always made sure that he availed himself to his fans for pictures. Whenever he performed he knew what the fans expected from him."