Legendary Cameroonian folklore artist and guitarist, Rick Nguti has passed away in the United States of America from illness, family sources say. He gave up in the early morning of February 21, 2026, from prolonged ill health which had lasted for years.
The native of Alanki-Mankon was baptised as Richard Ade Nguti. He adopted “Rick Nguti” as a musical name when he began exploring his passion for music. Rick had his day in the 90s and early 2000s with thrilling bottle dance pieces which seized dance floors nationwide. Most prominent amongst his songs was “Stop AIDS”, that advocating against acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It became the key song in the fight against the disease locally which had brought global death tolls to an alarming rate.
Rick’s fame came with limited financial rewards. Despite this, he braved through churning out calls against thievery for young people in his songs. He later moved to the USA in the early 2000s in search of a better life. It didn’t go well for him as he later got broken by sickness marking a great part of his over 23-year stay abroad. All these years, the public waited for his voice on new tracks to no avail. Instead, Rick at the time of his demise could hardly recall the lyrics of his own songs which he had sung for years.
Since his death, tributes have been pouring in, in recognition of his contribution to entertainment and advocacy nationwide. In one of such by Anye Lious Atanga, he hailed the artist’s life and attachment to passion. He further noted that Rick’s journey was a powerful lesson in living passion.
“From his life, I have learned an important lesson: the best way to help someone is to support them in doing what they love most. Passion gives life. Purpose gives strength. When we help people live out their passion, we help them live longer and happier lives. If only it had been realised earlier, perhaps he would have returned home sooner to continue the music he loved so much,” Anye noted.
Rick formed an older generation of artists with great feet who have continued to drop off the scene in recent years. He is survived by his wives and children.
