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The Kenyan music industry is mourning the death of veteran musician Eric Onguru, better known as Kunguru.
According to his former manager, the musician died on Sunday at 2:00 pm at the Nairobi Hospital. He disclosed that Kunguru had been battling a prolonged illness since an accident that affected his spinal cord in 2009 or 2010.
Kunguru was a talented artist whose music left an indelible mark on the Kenyan music industry.
Early life and Education
Kunguru passed away at the age of 44. He was born in July 1979.
He was a talented artist who started rapping at a young age. His passion for music led him to debut in mainstream showbiz in 2006 with 'African Woman, a track that featured Mr Lenny.
He was known for his unique style of music and lyrics that earned him the nickname ladies man during his early days in the industry.
Kunguru is a graduate of a banking course at one of Kenya's universities.
Music career and rise to stardom
He started rapping at a tender age, although his debut in mainstream showbiz was in 2006 when he released 'African Woman', featuring Mr Lenny.
Kunguru's popularity skyrocketed after he released 'I Will Never Let You Go' and 'Baby Don't Go.' featuring Mr Lenny. These tracks earned him the nickname ladies' man during his early days in the music industry.
The two club-banging tunes became instant hits, and Kunguru's music dominated the airwaves for months. His impressive vocal range and catchy hooks cemented his place as one of the most talented musicians in Kenya.
His collaboration with Mr Lenny on the song Baby Don’t Go was named the best video in the Kisima Awards in 2003.
Music break & epic comeback
The legendary musician took a music break in early 2008 to focus on his professional growth. He, however, made an epic comeback in 2013 after over five years with a banger Superstar, featuring songstress Christine Apondi.
Speaking in a previous interview, acknowledged that the break helped him to come up with a new style of music which is more skewed towards entertaining a mature crowd, with a deliberate input of more conscious content and excellent quality.
He revealed that he also worked with artists such as songstress Iddi Achieng’ with whom they recorded two songs, vocalist Christine Apondi and rapper Montana.
Family
Before his death, Kunguru was married and a father of two children. Not much about his family members is known because he kept the information private.
Sickness and death
Kunguru's death shocked his fans, who took to social media to express their condolences and pay tribute to his musical career.
The musician died on Sunday at 2:00 pm at the Nairobi Hospital.
His former manager attributed his prolonged illness to an accident he suffered in 2009 or 2010 that affected his spinal cord.