Ifunanya Nwangene, who first rose to fame on Season 3 of The Voice Nigeria, has sadly passed away at the age of 26.
The news was reported by BBC Africa, which revealed that Nwangene died after being bitten by a snake.
Later, Sam C. Ezugwu, the music director of the Amemuso Choir that Nwangene was part of, also confirmed her passing. He shared a statement on Facebook on Sunday, February 1.
“Amemuso Choir regret to announce the sudden demise of our beloved soprano,” the statement read. “A rising star, Ifunanya was on the cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world. Her voice and spirit will be deeply missed.”
According to BBC Africa, the incident occurred on January 31 while Nwangene was at home in Abuja.
The outlet spoke with her close friend and collaborator, Hillary Obinna, who said Nwangene was asleep when she was bitten. She immediately woke up when it happened. He also said that two snakes were later found in her home.
He later paid tribute to Nwangene by sharing a video of her recording in the studio. A portion of his tribute read:
“An irreplaceable loss to the Abuja music society and Nigeria at large💔. My hand and heart feels very heavy writing this, because it is unimaginable loosing such a young promising great, talented music artist who touched so many lives, it is very heartbreaking—especially in Nigeria where music runs deep in our souls and connects us all.”
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Details about Ifunanya Nwangene’s funeral arrangement are expected to be shared on the Amemuso Choir’s Facebook page.
