Steven Nugraha Kaligis AKA Tepeng, the vocalist of reggae band Steven & Coconuttreez, passed away this morning. He was 46 years old.
News of his death has been confirmed by his manager, Putra, who said that Tepeng died while undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at a hospital in BSD, South Tangerang.
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The band’s guitarist Tege and bassist Rival appeared emotional in a video streamed live on Instagram from the hospital this morning.
“Innalillahi wa innailaihi rojiun (We surely belong to God, and to Him we shall return). Our best friend, our brother, Steven Nugraha Kaligis has passed away. Please pray for him, friends, so that he passes away in his best condition and his sins are forgiven,” Tege said in tears.
“Truthfully, Bang Tepeng has had a sickness that required special care in the last four years,” Rival said, without elaborating further.
Steven & Coconuttreez was founded by the frontman in 2005. Based in Jakarta, the band initially had seven members, including Steven himself, when they started. Their debut album, The Other Side (2005), birthed one of the most well-known reggae songs in Indonesia, Welcome To My Paradise.
The band decided to go on a hiatus in 2009 due to internal conflicts, with each of the members having their own solo projects. After 10 years, Steven & Coconuttreez returned to the music scene with four members — Steven, Tege, Rival, and drummer Aci — in 2019, marked with the release of a single titled Fallin. Other than the band, Steven also had a solo project called Steven Jam.
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