Dailymaverick logo

South Africa

This article is more than a year old

PHOTO ESSAY

AKA is remembered at the Galaxy KDay Festival

The annual Galaxy KDay Festival in Cape Town was a celebration of music and rain. Despite the wet weather, the crowd stayed undeterred and cheered on the stellar line-up of acts including Jimmy Nevis, Emo Adams and Nasty C. YoungstaCPT closed out the show with a memorable performance in the rain. Radio personalities Saskia Falken and Jeremy van Wyk (CapeTalk) kicked off the event with a PRIDE cheer that resonated throughout the venue. The festival showed that, come rain or shine, Cape Town will always have an appreciation for good music and great talent.
AKA is remembered at the Galaxy KDay Festival Anica Kiana during her opening performance at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel

The annual music celebration, which was first held back in 2008, did not disappoint. The weather also played a part, showing that Cape Town really does have four seasons in one day, as well as making sure everyone knew why Galaxy KDay was billed as an end-of-summer celebration. 

From Jimmy Nevis singing in the rain, Emo Adams making it rain and YoungstaCPT doing his thing in the rain, in the words of Rihanna – as if she was speaking to the Cape Town audience – one thing was sure: “This is what you came for.”

Radio personalities Saskia Falken and Jeremy van Wyk (CapeTalk) got the crowd going and had the PRIDE cheers ringing out before introducing the next act.

Read in Daily Maverick: Cape Town Pride – Bright rainbow-coloured flags make waves down the city streets

Despite the rain bucketing down every once in a while, the crowd was undeterred and used part of the fence around the stage to dry out their things every time the sun came out.

Nasty C gave a special poignant tribute to murdered rapper AKA, getting the crowd to chant “AKA, AKA” and also to join him in remembering “a brother to me… when I say supa, you say mega”. The entire venue seemed to throb when he performed the song Lemons, an AKA song on which he is featured.

Read in Daily Maverick: One of Africa’s best – South African rapper AKA leaves a legacy of iconic music

Closing the show was homegrown YoungstaCPT who literally made it rain, working a wet stage and a completely drenched crowd who stayed with him despite the downpour making his performance an almost transcendent feature of humans (him and the crowd) and the elements. 

There is no doubt, come rain or shine, the event will continue to attract stellar talent and music lovers. There wasn’t a dry face in the “house” at the end, but everyone was all smiles and happiness was in the (wet) air.

Anica Kiana singing into a phone that a fan threw up to her at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Anica Kiana singing into a phone that a fan threw up to her at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
The fan who threw their phone to Anica Kiana (white shirt, centre) and friends celebrating the moment at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Fans and friends celebrating the moment at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Festival goers hang up picnic blankets and some clothes after rain hit the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Festival goers hang up picnic blankets and some clothes after rain hit the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
People showed up in force for the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
People showed up in force for the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
The crowd and their umbrellas stretched across the entire venue at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
The crowd and their umbrellas stretched across the entire venue at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Jimmy Nevis in a sky blue suit before the sky opened with rain at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Jimmy Nevis before the sky opened with rain at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Emo Adams commands the crowd at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Emo Adams commands the crowd at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Emo Adams giving the KDay crowd the show that they came for. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Emo Adams on stage, at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
 The crowd during Emo Adams' performance at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
The crowd during Emo Adams' performance at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
 Emo Adams sweating backstage after his energetic performance at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Emo Adams backstage after his energetic performance at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Mi Casa taking a photo with the crowd after their set at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Mi Casa taking a photo with the crowd after their set at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Nasty C comes to the stage amid the screams of the crowd at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
Nasty C comes to the stage amid the screams of the crowd at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
YoungstaCPT and Raf Don before they went out to perform at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
YoungstaCPT and Raf Don before they went out to perform at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
YoungstaCPT in action, refusing to let the rain stop the showat the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
YoungstaCPT refusing to let the rain stop the show at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
YoungstaCPT in action, refusing to let the rain stop the showat the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel
YoungstaCPT ion stage at the Galaxy KDay Festival. Image: Oren-Andrew Wentzel

DM/ ML

Comments (0)

Scroll down to load comments...