Riky Ricks’s rich legacy ignited

IT HAS been a year since the tragic loss of Riky “Rikhado Makhado” Rick, and his fans continue to pour interminable love for his popular extravaganza, Cotton Fest.

Joburg’s streets were plugged with people from various walks of life who came out in numbers to celebrate his legacy, filling Newtown with all tones of entertainment at the weekend.

The Cotton Fest team took things a notch up this year to surprise the crowd with the American star Akon, who took fans on a trip down memory lane with old classics.

A slew of local artists also delivered stellar performances on all three stages, giving audiences the chance to enthral themselves with the music of their choice.

Cotton Eaters, as they are called because of their affinity for fashion, pulled out all the stops to look the part.

The affair featured more than 160 of South Africa’s finest young musical talent, including Cassper Nyovest, A-Reece, Anele Zondo, Blxckie, DBN Gogo, DJ Maphorisa, Musa Keys, Sjava, Uncle Waffles, Young Stunna, K.O. and Nadia Nakai.

By bringing together established and emerging South African talent, the festival highlighted the diversity of music.

The event was filled with memorable moments, including the emotionally-charged tribute to Ricky, with the artists who also reminded the crowds how incredible the music star was.

This year, the Cotton Fest team also launched the Cotton Fest Creative programme, founded by Riky Rick, to give back to students while creating various outlets to empower young creatives to succeed in their studies and careers.

“We are extremely excited to have the privilege to assist young people in achieving this huge milestone in their educational journey. When we started Cotton Fest, the idea was not just to have a once-off concert, but to do much more for the culture as a whole, and offer support within the community. With the additional financial injection from Puma, we were able to make the Cotton Fest Creative Programme a reality,” said Riky’s wife Bianca Naidoo. Festival-goers also had a curated shopping experience as they bought merchandise at the University of Cotton Fest’s tuck shop.