Cola Boyy, a Californian singer and songwriter who collaborated with MGMT and The Avalanches and advocated for individuals with disabilities, has died. He was 34 years old.
Cola Boyy, born Matthew Urango, died Sunday at his home in Oxnard, said his mother, Lisa Urango. No reason given.
A self-proclaimed “disabled disco innovator,” Mr. Urango assembled a range of instruments to create a whole mix of funk rhythm and colourful sounds to accompany his alluring voice, a striking balance of silk and chirp.
Mr. Urango was born with spina bifida, kyphosis and scoliosis and wore a prosthetic leg from the age of two.
As Cola Boyy, he released his debut album “Prosthetic Boombox” in 2021, which gained recognition hundreds of thousands of plays on Spotify and other platforms, and showed off energetic and introspective songs like “Don’t Forget Your Neighborhood,” a collaboration with indie pop group Avalanches.
He has used his growing artistic platform to talk out on social issues, including those related to individuals with disabilities.
“Few artists are visibly disabled,” said w interview for Tmrw magazine. “Society wants us to stay inside and be shy and obedient so that we don’t feel confident, cool or sexy.”
As Cola Boyy, he performed in front of audiences at the most vital music festivals, including Coachella in 2019, where he performed with a lineup that included, amongst others: Ariana Grande and Bad Bunny.
He was signed to French independent label Record Makers and, in response to his manager Jack Sills, worked with Mac DeMarco, MGMT and others.
Mr. Urango was a community organizer who worked on issues facing farming and immigrant communities in Oxnard, Mr. Sills said.
Matthew Joseph Urango was born on February 14, 1990 in Ventura County, his mother said. He grew up in Oxnard, a largely Latino and working-class town on the Southern California coast, known for its sprawling farms nearby.
Mr. Urango taught himself to play several instruments, his mother said. His first was a “drum set for little kids,” as he said in an interview Fader published in 2018adding that he later began playing the piano and guitar.
His mother said dozens of people mourned his death at an impromptu vigil in an Oxnard alley Monday evening. Flowers and candles gathered on the ground, “RIP COLA BOYY” lyrics spray painted on the wall above.
Mr. Urango is survived by his twin brother, Marcus; his younger brother Noah; and his mother and father, Lisa and Joseph Urango.
As a young person, he joined Oxnard’s thriving punk scene, playing in several bands, Sills said. Before becoming a solo artist, he was a member of the indie pop band Sea Lions, said his manager, who he toured and played concert events abroad.
In an interview with Fader, Mr. Urango spoke at length about the influence of his hometown.
“The people I grew up with and the people I surround myself with today are real people who have been through a lot,” he said, talking about people in Oxnard. “They are very resilient.”
