British singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka has revealed he suffered a stroke, saying he is “fighting to get better” and faces “a long tough journey ahead”.
The 39-year-old, best known for his song Home Again, said he had a bleed in his brain brought on by high blood pressure a few months ago. The award-winning musician described the brain injury as “quite severe”, which forced him to cancel a number of summer festival appearances as well as his shows opening for Mumford And Sons in the US.
New album announced
Kiwanuka also announced the release of his new album Fudge, which was recorded before the stroke. In a post shared on Instagram, he said: “I’m very happy to be announcing to you my new album Fudge. I’m especially happy because the last few months I’ve been battling some health problems which would heavily hinder and get in the way of me making music for the foreseeable future.”
He added: “It’s a long journey recovering from a stroke, which is why I missed some gigs recently out in the US, but I look forward to seeing you all soon.”
Rehab and support
Kiwanuka said he is unsure when he will be able to return to touring. “I’m not sure when I’ll be able to be back out on the road or what that will look like, the brain injury I suffered was quite severe so there’s a lot of rehab to be done, it’s a long, tough journey ahead but I’m fighting to get better.”
He thanked the “incredible” NHS staff and medical professionals who have helped him and continue to encourage his recovery, as well as his friends and family for their support. He added: “This has definitely been one of the toughest challenges I’ve faced and I’ll be happy to be on the other side of it when the time comes.”
Stars including fellow singers Olivia Dean and Self Esteem, as well as comedian Romesh Ranganathan, shared their support in the comments. Kiwanuka released his debut album Home Again in 2012, followed by Love And Hate in 2016. In 2020, he won the Mercury Prize for his third record, Kiwanuka, which placed second on the albums chart.
