Very sad news this week out of the world of entertainment:
Ifunanya Nwangene, a contestant on Season 3 of The Voice Nigeria, has passed away after she was bitten by a snake while she was asleep.
The singer was 26 years old.
“Amemuso Choir [regrets] to announce the sudden demise of our beloved soprano,” music director Sam C. Ezugqu with the Amemuse Choir said in a Sunday, February 1 statement shared via Facebook, confirming the singer’s death.
“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 reports… Nwangene was bitten by a snake in Abuja, where she resided, before being rushed to a Nigerian hospital on Saturday, January 31.
The artist tried to obtain treatment for the snake bite at a nearby clinic; however, there was no antivenom available, which is why she ended up at the hospital.
Ezugwu further detailed the following events to the BBC Africa, recounting how hospital staff attempted “to stabilize her,” adding that Nwangene “could not speak, but could make hand gestures. She was struggling to breathe.”
Nwangene — known for her jazz-operatic singing style — prominence in the African country after amazing viewers on The Voice with her cover of Rihanna’s “Take a Bow.”
She was ultimately eliminated in the Knockouts.
The tragedy came just three days after Nwangene teased a new song with musician Tbrass. Following her passing, the artist shared a clip of Nwangene recording the track in his tribute.
“An irreplaceable loss to the Abuja music society and Nigeria at large,” he wrote on Instagram, adding:
“My hand and heart feels very heavy writing this, because it is unimaginable losing 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.
“The pain of saying goodbye to someone whose voice and energy brought joy, inspiration, and even healing to many is heavy. From her unique voice, to the stories she told through songs, and the way she represented our culture and struggles, Nanya was a true artist who left an irreplaceable mark.”