It’s easy to spot Ricardo Goliath when he wanders down Stanley Street. With his sequined jacket, colourful hat and guitar in hand, Ricardo frequently entertains visitors to Stanley Street with his soulful singing. Once he strikes up a tune, most people find it hard not to listen to, and enjoy Ricardo’s music.
“I grew up in a house filled with music,” Ricardo says nostalgically.
Rather than focusing on a song’s melody or lyrics, he taught himself to actively listen to the harmony of a song first. In this way, Ricardo strengthened his auditory skills, creating the opportunity to explore with more intricate sounds. He had been strongly influenced by, among others, the gospel music from famous a cappella groups from the 1970s, like the King’s Messengers Quartet, and the Take Six a cappella sextet group, formed in 1980.
These perfectly harmonised groups were a source of inspiration and he soon formed a group.
Teaming up with two brothers, Wayne and Glenton Adams, they started making music together in high school. Although their focus was gospel music, they also played popular music at weddings, birthdays and special occasions.
“Our high school music teacher, Mr Wildman, loved us. He played the piano in the church where we used to perform. It was because of him that we named our group back then the Wildman Boyz.”
Those were good years for Ricardo.
“In those days we used to enter competitions and sometimes we won prize money, much to the amazement of my family,” Ricardo smiles.
Back then, the Wildman Boyz also took extra music lessons at Collegiate High School.
“Sometimes when outside for a break, half the school would surround us and ask us to sing.”
In the following years, there were numerous highlights. One of the first a cappella groups in the country to perform at the Biltong Festival they also played at various competitions, venues and events around the city and all over the country.
As the years went by, the group split up and then Ricardo, Eugene Moen, David and Peter Snayer formed the Stanley Street Fusion Vocal Group.
“We busked in Stanley Street for quite some time. We did this for the love of music and to put smiles on people’s faces.”
With their Cape carnival-style outfits and friendly manner, they reminded bystanders of the Cape Minstrels and brought their own spark of magic to the street.
These days it is only Ricardo who treats the people of Stanley Street to a vast repertoire of music – from Afrikaans and isiXhosa folk songs to soul, rhythm and blues, popular music, as well as reggae. But even though he cuts a solitary figure in Stanley Street, he is far from lonely. His music keeps him company.
Stirring up many happy memories of years gone by, Ricardo closes his eyes for a few moments as he starts strumming Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven on his guitar.
A few people look up from a nearby restaurant table.
For a moment all the background noise fades out and it is only Ricardo and his guitar that can be heard, in perfect harmony.
