Ifunanya Nwangene, the Abuja-based singer popularly known as Nanyah, has been laid to rest in her hometown in Enugu.
The 26-year-old artiste passed away last month following a snake bite at her residence.
The farewell began with a service of songs at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Abule Oshun, Lagos, where voices rose not in celebration but in sorrowful tribute.
A requiem mass and hour of hymns followed on February 12, setting the tone for days of mourning.
On February 13, the Nwangene family compound in Enugu glowed with candlelight as loved ones gathered for a wake keep: a night of remembrance before the final goodbye.
The interment ceremony in the late singer’s hometown was held on Saturday. In a video shared by Kingsley Nwangene, her brother, the community assembled one last time around their songstress.
Beneath a decorated tent, her body lay as mourners filed past for their final view.
The footage captured faces crumpling, tears falling freely, arms reaching out to console and be consoled. Later, men carefully lowered her remains into the earth after the church service.
A thanksgiving service on February 15 will formally conclude the ceremonies.
Last Monday, the Amemuso Choir had held a heartfelt tribute where friends and family honoured Nanyah with the very thing she loved most: songs and shared memories.
Though not widely known in the mainstream music industry, Nanyah maintained a devoted following of nearly 40,000 on Instagram. Her musical style spanned classical, jazz, R&B, and soul.
A graduate of the University of Nigeria, Enugu, she served as choir mistress at St. Mulumba’s Catholic Chaplaincy during her university years and was a member of the Amemuso Choir. She also competed on The Voice Nigeria four years ago.
Her recorded work includes the tracks ‘The Quiet After Grief,’ ‘Nigerian National Anthem,’ and ‘World Peace.’
