Riky Rick ‘resurrected’ with AI on new song, ‘Stronger’
In a poignant tribute to the late Rikhado ‘Riky Rick‘ Makhado, his voice resonates once again through the power of artificial intelligence (AI) on his latest track, ‘Stronger‘.
Riky Rick posthumously promotes mental health on AI-generated song
The song, released on YouTube on Wednesday, marked the revival of the SA icon’s music through the newly established Riky Rick Foundation for the Promotion of Artivism.
The foundation, driven by a mission to shed light on the pressing issue of deteriorating mental health and well-being, aims to raise funds to support individuals and organisations dedicated to promoting mental well-being.
Inspired by Riky’s final tweet, in which he expressed his determination to return as a stronger man, the foundation is determined to honour his legacy and advocate for the care and empowerment of young people.
Collaborating with partners such as TBWA\ Hunt Lascaris and Sony Music Africa, the foundation harnessed the potential of AI technology to give life to Riky’s words, extracted from his social media posts.
Through the expertise of Riky’s longtime collaborators Ganja Beatz, Audio Militia, and lyricist Lebo Machudi, ‘Stronger‘ weaves together a musical tapestry that captures the essence of Riky’s spirit.
Reflecting on his impactful influence, Riky once shared in one of his final interviews,
“I don’t care how people remember me as long as I’ve left something people can build on.”
True to his vision, the foundation released ‘Stronger‘ not only to immortalise Riky’s legacy but also to raise awareness about mental health issues and offer a platform for everyone to contribute to this vital cause.
Here is what it takes to generate a song using AI
AI music, an emerging technology, plays a pivotal role in this endeavor. Leveraging artificial intelligence algorithms, AI music has the ability to generate and compose unique musical pieces.
By inputting desired emotions or specific musical elements, algorithms interpret and create melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and even complete songs.
Key AI algorithms employed in this field include Markov Chains, genetic algorithms, deep learning, reinforcement learning, and recurrent neural networks, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
AI music also integrates techniques such as Music Information Retrieval (MIR) and Generative Music Theory (GMT).
MIR analyses existing musical compositions, extracting features to generate new music, while GMT enables the creation of intricate compositions that consider the relationships between different musical elements.
By combining these approaches, AI music achieves creativity and expressiveness, producing compositions that surpass the boundaries of human creation.
As ‘Stronger‘ prepares to grace the airwaves, it serves as a testament to Riky Rick’s enduring impact on many lives.
Through the Riky Rick Foundation’s visionary efforts, his spirit lives on, inspiring a generation to prioritise mental well-being and embrace the power of music as a catalyst for positive change.
