By Swami Eddz,
Gelson Caio Manuel Mendes “Nagrelha” from the band Os Lambos died on Friday, 18th, at the age of 36, as a result of illness, according to the head of Hospital D. Alexandre do Nascimento.
The kudurist “Nagrelha” was hospitalized in one of the hospital units in Luanda in June, after which he moved to Porto, Portugal, for treatment owing to respiratory problems.
Nagrelha referred to himself as the “general staff” of kuduro, and he is one of the most influential performers in national music, moving crowds in the streets and on stages around the country.
In 2012, he married dancer Weza Mendes, a former member of the “Foguentas” ensemble.
The Kudurist took home a T3 property in the Infinity Gold condominium in Luanda as a prize for winning the first season of the Angolan reality series Luta Pela Fama in December.
The Kudurist, also known as “Nan,” who avoided public performances, started his artistic career in 2003 with the band “Os Lambas,” also known as “Os Deônios do Sambizanga.”
He grew up in the Sambizanga neighborhood, the son of a Santomean father and an Angolan mother, and was reared by his mother and uncles.
Nagrelha dedicated his debut solo album, “Arquitecto da paz,” to José Eduardo dos Santos, the president of the republic, in 2017.
The Kudurist, a father of four children named Naweza, Otchai, Nahara, and Mirelson, built the home of his dreams in Sambinzanga, the area where he was born and raised.
