Oxnard musician, activist Cola Boyy dies at 34

Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify the role of the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corp.

Oxnard musician Cola Boyy, who performed at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and whose unique disco music garnered a passionate local following, has died.

Matthew Urango, 34, died March 17 in Oxnard, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause and manner of death are pending and could take about three months to determine, authorities said.

The self-proclaimed “disabled disco innovator” performed on the same Coachella lineup as fellow Oxnard artist Anderson .Paak.

More than just a musician, Cola Boyy also used his platform to fight for disability rights, tenants rights and others, said Carolyn Mullin, executive director of the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corp., the nonprofit arm of the city-owned venue.

He was committed to Oxnard and chose to stay and involve his community, she said.

“You would see that in his music videos that were shot in Oxnard and featured people in Oxnard,” Mullin said.

Mullin said Cola Boyy has been an honorary nonprofit board member since 2019. He will remain a board member in memoriam, which has been done for others, she said.

"I don't think any of us saw this coming," Mullin said about his death.

David Stalsworth, 19, of Oxnard, is a musician who became friends with Urango through the local music scene.

“To someone who had never met him, I would say he was one of the funniest, most talented people you’d ever meet,” Stalsworth said in an email. “An absolute joy to be around to say the least.”

Stalsworth said it's difficult to pinpoint the sound of his friend’s music. Urango pulled inspiration from every style, he said.

“He was always making some of the most unique songs I’ve ever heard,” he said. “The impact he left on Oxnard musically and culturally is immeasurable.”

Luis Guereca, 51, of Oxnard, is an independent filmmaker who followed Cola Boyy’s career and would see him regularly at concerts in the city supporting other artists.

“Whenever he walked into a room there was a vibe he created,” he said. “He always played it low key and didn’t let any of his success go to his head, and people loved that about him.”

Guereca watched Cola Boyy perform at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center with other local bands.

“He just had that place jumping,” he said. “When he took the stage, there was just this incredible energy he brought. I’ve never seen a crowd react that way to any other show … it was exciting.”

One of the last concerts Cola Boyy promoted on social media was a headlining Nov. 25 performance at The CFF in Oxnard, with proceeds going toward the Palestinian youth movement.

He released his first five-song EP “Black Boogie Neon” on the Record Makers label in 2018. His debut 10-song album “Prosthetic Boombox” was released on the same label in 2021.

He worked with thrash metal and punk hardcore groups, but he released an album putting his own spin on disco.

Mullin, of the performing arts center, said Cola Boyy’s music was constantly evolving.

“It was so catchy and energetic,” she said.

Mullin wasn't always aware that Cola Boyy, who rode a scooter to get around, used a prosthetic leg, which was referenced in the “Prosthetic Boombox" album title. He was reportedly born with spina bifida, scoliosis and kyphosis.

Cola Boyy had been working on a new album that was scheduled for release this summer, she said.

In January, he posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he spent three days “in the hospital with bronchitis/pneumonia I’m back home now nothing can stop me from getting this new record out!”

A memorial tribute concert to help raise funds for the family is being planned, Mullin said.

"He was one of the shining stars of Oxnard and it’s a shame more people don’t know that,” she said. “The fact he did what he did in his life is amazing.”

Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oxnard musician, activist Cola Boyy dies at 34