The Voice ‘s Ifunanya Nwangene Dead After Being Bitten by Snake

Originally appeared on E! Online

The music community has lost a rising star.

Five years after competing on The Voice Nigeria, Ifunanya Nwangene died from a snake bite Jan. 31, Amemuso Choir music director Sam C. Ezugwu confirmed. She was 26.

“Amemuso Choir regrets to announce the sudden demise of our beloved Soprano, Ifunaya Nwangene,” the Facebook post shared, noting that she had died at the hospital. “A rising star, Ifunanya was on the cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world.”

He concluded, “Her voice and spirit will be deeply missed.”

Following her tragic death, Nwangene’s friend Hillary Obinna told the BBC Africa that the singer had been asleep in her Abuja apartment when a snake bite “woke her up.”

Ezugwu further detailed the following events to the outlet, recalling hospital staff “trying to stabilise her,” adding that Nwangene “could not speak, but she could make hand gestures. She was struggling to breathe.”

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Nwangene—known for her jazz-operatic singing, competed—rose to prominence in the African country after dazzling viewers on The Voice with her cover of Rihanna‘s “Take a Bow.” She was ultimately eliminated in the Knockouts.

Her death comes just three days after she 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. “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,” he continued. “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.”

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