Remembering Cola Boyy, disability advocate and musician

Prominent disability activist and indie pop musician, Cola Boyy, died on March 17 at his home in Oxnard. His death was confirmed by his mother but she did not specify any cause of death. He was 34.

His record label, Record Makers, posted on social media about his death including a photo and message honoring the artist. 

“He was quite a soul, a man with no age, a childlike spirit with the musicality of an old legend. His lyrics, his melodies, the sound of his voice: every side of his music was unique and timeless…,” Record Makers posted on X. 

Cola Boyy, born Matthew Urgano, was a California singer-songwriter who was known for the intriguing and funky sounds in his music. He was self-described as a “disabled disco innovator” and the work that he did was nothing short of that.

“Not a lot of artists are visibly disabled. Society wants us to stay inside and to be timid and docile, and to not feel confident, or cool, or sexy,” Urango said in an interview with Tmrw magazine. “So, in my life, that often weighed me down, but it didn’t ever stop me/ I’ve always been a very outgoing person but still not the most confident, I’m still very critical of myself.”

He was born in 1990 in Ventura County to Lisa and Joseph Urango in a predominantly Latino and working-class community. In an interview in 2018 with The Fader, Urango said he, his twin brother Marcus and younger brother Noah were raised by their grandmother. 

Urango was born with spina bifida, scoliosis, kyphosis and used a prosthetic leg since he was 2 years old. Growing up he taught himself how to play multiple instruments. He used his platform in the music industry to become an outspoken advocate for individuals with disabilities. 

Urango told Fader he grew up surrounded by a hardcore punk scene that was very popular in the Oxnard area. “The punk scene has its strong points and weak times, but when we were in our early teens, it was definitely really popping off,” Urango said in the interview. “They would have shows at the skate park with, like, a generator. Bands would be playing and people would be drinking, doing drugs, just craziness.”

Before he released his debut album in 2021, Urango produced his own music and appeared in front of some of the country’s biggest audiences including at Coachella in 2019. He was eventually signed by the French indie label, Record Makers, and began working on his first album. 

In 2021 he released, “Prosthetic Boombox,” and quickly gained fans and millions of streams on platforms like Spotify. The album included collaborations with The Avalanches, John Carroll Kirby and Bon Voyage Organisation. 

Throughout his musical career, Urango made sure to pay homage to his hometown, Oxnard. “There’s so [many] beautiful things about Oxnard, but at the same time I don’t really want people to move there,” Urango said to Fader. “I would say Oxnard’s dope if you want to come kick it on the weekend and post up with us in, like a backyard or alley or in a park, and drink and hang out.”

He was also heavily involved in the Oxnard community and participated in organizations like Todo Poder Al Pueblo and APOC Oxnard. He was always outspoken about immigration rights and took a more radical approach to politics. 

After his death was announced a vigil was held in Oxnard honoring Urango. Groups of people showed up to pay their respects to the musician and activist. Some arrived with flowers and candles to place on the ground around photos of him.