Pop singer-songwriter, disability activist dies at age 34

Musician and songwriter Matthew Urango, who went by the stage name Cola Boyy died on Sunday at the age of 34.

“He was quite a soul, a man with no age, a childlike spirit with the musicality of an old legend,” his label, Record Makers, said in a statement on Instagram, announcing his death. “His lyrics, his melodies, the sound of his voice: every side of his music was unique and timeless. We loved him at Record Makers. We are sending all possible love to Matthew’s family and to his numerous friends. His music and power will remain.”

“Anyone who knew Matthew knows he had a larger-than-life personality. He was always the life of the party and could chop it up with anyone. He was also one of the most talented and down to earth people I’ve ever met,” Cola Boyy’s manager, Jack Sills, wrote on Instagram. “His humor and natural charisma endeared him to whoever he met.”

“Matthew cared enormously for his family, friends and community which he often expressed through his music. He had just finished his next album and was excited to start releasing new music this summer. I will continue to work with his family and @recordmakers to make sure this happens,” Sills continued.

Born with spina bifida, scoliosis, and kyphosis, Cola Boyy began his music career as the bass player for the indie group Sea Lions, according to Pitchfork and Stereogum. He released his debut EP, “Black Boogie Neon,” in 2018, which featured the songs “Penny Girl” and “Buggy Tip.”

That album attracted the attention of groups like MGMT, whom he toured with, and the electronic group The Avalanches, who featured him on their album, “We Will Always Love You,” as well as making a guest appearance on his first full-length album, “Prosthetic Boombox,” in 2021.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our friend and collaborator Matthew Urango,” The Avalances said in a statement posted to X. “Matthew was the most effervescent hilarious talented &passionate guy you could ever meet. He was a man of his convictions and of his word.”

In addition to his music, Urango was a vocal activist for disabled and immigrant communities and worked with the leftist collective Todo Poder al Pueblo, Pitchfork reported.

“Not a lot of artists are visibly disabled,” he said in an interview with tmrw. “Society wants us to stay inside and to be timid and docile, and to not feel confident, or cool, or sexy. They just don’t want us to feel any of that, you know? So, in my life, that often weighed me down, but it didn’t ever stop me.”