Matthew Urango, the California disco singer and activist better known by his stage name Cola Boyy, has died at the age of 34. His label Record Makers announced the news on social media, calling him “quite a soul, a man with no age, a childlike spirit with the musicality of an old legend”. Urango, who was born with several spinal conditions including spina bifida, scoliosis and kyphosis, began releasing solo music in 2018, after having played bass in Sea Lions. He gained attention from MGMT, who he toured with, and Air’s Nicolas Godin, who co-founded Record Makers.
In 2020, Urango featured on The Avalanches’ ‘We Go On’ from their album ‘We Will Always Love You’. The following year, Cola Boyy released his debut album, ‘Prosthetic Boombox’, which featured The Avalanches, MGMT’s Andrew VanWyngarden, Nicolas Godin, and more.
Urango was also an activist advocating for disability rights and had associated with groups such as Todo Poder Al Pueblo and APOC (Anarchist People Of Colour). Speaking to NME in 2021, Urango said, “If you’re disabled or if you’re poor, nothing is ever earned through asking nicely…you have to fight for them and threaten them with, ‘We’re going to keep coming at you. If you take this away, we’re going to come at you harder’.”
Urango’s manager, Jack Sills, wrote on Instagram that Urango had “just finished his next album” as Cola Boyy and that the musician “was excited to start releasing new music this summer”. Sills added that he will work with Urango’s family and Record Makers to get Cola Boyy’s music released posthumously.
Following the news of Urango’s death, tributes were shared by artists including The Avalanches and Chromeo
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