While gospel music is certainly one of the most popular genres in Mzansi, it is people like Dr Tumi that kept pushing the envelope and making sure that the music and the message was relevant in 2018.
The doctor of "souls" as some of his Twitter fans call him first caught Mzansi's attention when he took inspiration from rapper Cassper Nyovest's Fill Up The Dome concert. Except with Dr Tumi, the venue was filled up to the brim with worshipers.
This year 30,000 people came out to watch the gospel star perform at the Voortrekker monument at a show the star said had special meaning for him and for the future of the country.
Speaking to SowetanLIVE straight after the event Dr Tumi explained the spiritual significance of having had a nation of worshippers gather at the Afrikaans heritage site in Pretoria.
He said that it also had a lot to do with the current land debate in Mzansi.
"The issue of the land was absolutely part of the reason we are here. There's a lot that is happening within the landscape in the country in relation to this. I believe that we also have to take a spiritual stand and declare things in the spirit. At the end of the day, we want everybody to have access and to walk in an equal space and land is a very important and empowering tool to that."
#2018 | The year Dr Tumi filled up Voortrekker Monument with worshippers
While gospel music is certainly one of the most popular genres in Mzansi, it is people like Dr Tumi that kept pushing the envelope and making sure that the music and the message was relevant in 2018.
The doctor of "souls" as some of his Twitter fans call him first caught Mzansi's attention when he took inspiration from rapper Cassper Nyovest's Fill Up The Dome concert. Except with Dr Tumi, the venue was filled up to the brim with worshipers.
This year 30,000 people came out to watch the gospel star perform at the Voortrekker monument at a show the star said had special meaning for him and for the future of the country.
Speaking to SowetanLIVE straight after the event Dr Tumi explained the spiritual significance of having had a nation of worshippers gather at the Afrikaans heritage site in Pretoria.
He said that it also had a lot to do with the current land debate in Mzansi.
"The issue of the land was absolutely part of the reason we are here. There's a lot that is happening within the landscape in the country in relation to this. I believe that we also have to take a spiritual stand and declare things in the spirit. At the end of the day, we want everybody to have access and to walk in an equal space and land is a very important and empowering tool to that."
Adding on to a great year that saw him have a talent scout for his current group of backing vocalists and release the album and live DVD of The Gathering Of Worshippers - Beauty For Ashes, the singer also launched his foundation.
Dr Tumi said that he couldn't just sit by and watch the devastation of the Khayelitsha fire, so he roped in a couple of friends to help do one major act of love to help those affected.
SowetanLIVE reported that one person was killed and more than 1‚000 shacks destroyed in a raging fire in Khayelitsha‚ Cape Town.
More than 4‚000 people were thought to have lost their homes as the fire raged out of control.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE, after a successful benefit concert Dr Tumi said he had to do something after seeing how much people had lost.
"I decided to get involved in helping with the Khayelitsha crisis because it's such an overnight life change. Like the one minute those people were fine going about their daily business and the next minute they were homeless with no clothes or food. Having lost everything they had got to me. To realise that people's lives are forever changed and it happened so quickly for so many people. It struck a nerve with me and I had to get involved."
We know we speak for most of us when we say, don't stop Dr Moruti... in between being woke and fighting state capture on Twitter as well #idibaling and everything else that needs our attention on the daily... that prayer in song revives us when we need it!
Oh... Halleluyah!