There are voices that become familiar in a way that is difficult to explain until you hear them again. A song comes on during a drive, a familiar chorus rises during a church service, or someone plays a praise medley at home, and you already know the words before you realise which song is playing.

For many people, Toluwanisings became one of those voices.

Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, known to gospel music listeners as Toluwanisings, passed away on 14 October 2026. His family confirmed the news, and tributes from fellow ministers, listeners and people who had encountered his music followed. He was 41.

It is difficult to write about a music minister whose songs are still so present in the lives of the people who listened to him. His music continues to play in churches, homes, cars and on playlists, and the loss is felt in the spaces where people had grown accustomed to hearing him sing.

As we remember him, we want to return to the music, the ministry and the sound he shared with us.

Toluwanisings built a sound that drew from Yoruba praise traditions and contemporary gospel music. He was particularly recognisable for the way he approached praise. His music had a strong connection to the language and musical traditions many Nigerian Christians grew up hearing in church.

His catalogue includes songs such as “A Very Big God”, “Onibuore”, “Kabiyesi Olorun Ayo”, “E Lagbara”, “Eleda”, “I’m Not Alone” and “Owo Re Meji Meji”. Each recording gives listeners another opportunity to enjoy great music and worship God genuinely.

For many listeners, “A Very Big God” remains one of the songs that immediately brings Toluwanisings to mind. “Onibuore” and “Kabiyesi Olorun Ayo” also sit within the part of his catalogue that celebrates God’s goodness and sovereignty through Yoruba expressions of praise.

The story of an artist can easily become reduced to the moment their name becomes widely recognised, especially when social media plays a role in introducing their music to a much larger audience.

Toluwanisings’ journey had years of work behind it. He grew up singing in church choirs and continued developing his interest in music before his work reached a wider audience. His music gained greater attention in 2021 after comedian and content creator Woli Arole shared one of his songs online. His work continued to grow through releases, live recordings and collaborations with other gospel musicians, including Tosin Bee and Adeyinka Alaseyori.

The passing of a music minister leaves a space in the lives of the people who loved their work, especially when the music has become part of their personal and spiritual memories.

We remember the songs that played during family gatherings, the praise sessions where the whole room joined in, the live recordings that kept us listening long after the first chorus, and the moments when a familiar line gave us words to express our gratitude to God.

We also remember the people behind the music. Toluwanisings was a husband, a father, a friend and a colleague, and our thoughts and prayers remain with his wife, children, family, and everyone who shared life and ministry with him.

As listeners, one way we can honour his contribution is to return to the music with gratitude, share the songs with people who may not know them, and recognise the years of work that went into building his ministry.

May God comfort everyone who loved him, and may the music he leaves behind continue to point hearts towards the One he spent his life praising.

Rest well, Toluwanisings.