Costa Titch

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By Mitch MansfieldNewsbeat reporter

Costa Titch had Big Plans and big dreams.

But , on Saturday, fans of The South African rapper feared the worst when he collapsed On Stage .

Later, His Family confirmed: " Death has tragically knocked at our door, " in a

Tributes have been paid to the 28-year-old as police investigate What Happened .

BBC 1Xtra presenter Jeremiah Asiamah, who interviewed Costa Titch just weeks ago, says it's a " very sad loss".

" Not just for the amapiano sound, But for all those who enjoy great music, " he tells BBC Newsbeat.

" When he walks into that room, his energy is infectious - just like his music. "

Who was Costa Titch ?

Born Constantinos Tsobanoglou, Costa Titch began his career as a dancer, before a big international breakthrough in 2022 with his song Big Flexa.

Last month, he announced a partnership with Akon's Record Label Konvict Kulture.

The rappers collaborated on a remix of The Track - named a 'Rising Record' on 1Xtra's Rave Show.

" As much as the original's done well, there's still a lot of places across the globe that haven't heard about the record yet, " Costa told The Show .

But according to Jeremiah, Costa's ambitions went well beyond one tune.

" When we were speaking, He Said to me, 'Big Flexa has done its thing, But I want to take it to a whole new Level - I want to Show People I'm More Than just a rapper, I'm More Than just a dancer, I Am a musician'. "

What is amapiano?

Jeremiah explains that amapiano is a subgenre of House Music that's.

He says it's " infused by house, jazz, Lounge Music , bringing all those sounds together with really joyful and unique dances. "

" If you had a chance to see Costa Titch live, everybody was doing his dances. "

And coming from a dancing background, " you can only imagine the impact he had in amapiano, " Jeremiah adds.

How did he die?

Videos on Social Media show Costa collapsing twice before falling off The Stage , while performing at the Ultra South Africa Festival in Johannesburg.

Organisers as a " beloved" artist and " a galvanising voice amongst South Africa 's amapiano scene".

They said they were " devastated by the sudden loss".

Despite online speculation, no cause of death has been given.

Local police say this will be established by a post-mortem examination, and Costa's family have asked for " time and space" while they " try to make sense of what has befallen us".

'Their music will live on'

Costa died just a month after fellow South African rapper AKA, who.

" AKA and Costa Titch were really Close Friends , " says Jeremiah.

" It's so sad that South Africa and People all around The World who loved both of these individuals' music have lost them.

" But - I know it's a cliché - their music will live on, " Jeremiah says.

" Their songs are now going to hit even harder in the clubs - People are going to celebrate their lives, because I know that's what they'd want from us. "

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Source of news: bbc.com