Costa Titch will be remembered by his family and friends as being a cheerful, talented dancer and rapper.
The artist, whose real name was Constantinos Tsobanoglou, was only 28 when he collapsed and died while performing at the Ultra South Africa 2023 music festival at the Expo Centre in Johannesburg on Saturday.
He was born and raised in Mpumalanga and attended Nelspruit Primary School and Penryn College. He was well known for his dance moves and had gained popularity with his single, ‘Big Flexa’, which had received over 45 million views on YouTube.
His rugby coach at Nelspruit Primary, Albert van Putten, said Costa had been one of the most energetic kids he had ever encountered during his time as a cricket and rugby coach. “He was such a humble human being and I will never forget the energy he had. He lived his life fully and achieved most of his dreams; all I can say is that I will miss him. Until we meet again.”
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One of Costa’s family friends who had helped to raise him, Vuyani Baloyi, said he had been an easy-going child. He saw mankind beyond colour, race or creed, which had to do with his upbringing.
“Despite his fame and success, Costa remained the loving, kind, humble, respectful child that I came to know and fell in love with 13 years ago,” she said.
One of his former classmates and dance partners, Andile Shilembe, said Costa had been a friend and an inspiration since they started school and dancing together. “He taught me the value of hard work, which also got us to the world stage with the group Fresh Impact. He will be missed,” he said.
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Penryn College’s management said Costa would be remembered with great affection and enormous pride. “He was a passionate and driven young man who gave his all to every activity he was involved in. A balanced scholar, who worked hard at academics, played his much-loved rugby and constantly strove to develop his dance and music.”
Following his death, his family released a statement thanking the emergency services for trying to save his life and those who had remained with him before he died. “As a family, we are faced with a difficult time as we try to make sense of what has befallen us, and ask that we be afforded the time and space to gather ourselves.”
The family also said they appreciated the love and support given to their son and asked that people continue to uplift him even in spirit. “Please keep us in your prayers and uplifted in the Lord.”
The cause of death has not yet been confirmed. A funeral date had not yet been set by the time of going to press.
