The year 2022 is proving to be a black year for Indian music as several notable artistes have passed away, namely Lata Mangeshkar, Bappi Lahiri, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Sidhu Moosewala and now KK. Out of all these deaths, the two recent deaths of Sidhu Moosewala and Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK has left everyone in shock as theirs were untimely, tragic and sudden. Moreover, both Sidhu and KK were young and still had many years of music in them and their demise happened almost back-to-back, leaving their fans in shock. 2022 has brought irreplaceable loss to the Indian music industry.
Krishnakumar Kunnath aka KK (1968-2022)
Well-known and beloved Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK, died in Kolkata on Tuesday night, May 31, after giving a scintillating concert. KK performed at a concert organized by Gurudas College at Nazrul Mancha in south Kolkata for almost an hour in the evening during which he fell ill and after completing the concert passed away. The singer was one of the most popular singers of the late 1990s and had several hits to his name. In 1999, he launched his debut album titled Pal. The songs Pal and Yaaron from the album Pal became very popular and are commonly used in school and college farewells. As a playback singer he recorded some blockbuster Bollywood numbers such as Tadap Tadap from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), the Tamil song Apadi Podu, Dola Re Dola from Devdas (2002), Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai from Woh Lamhe... (2006), Aankhon Mein Teri from Om Shanti Om (2007), Khuda Jane from Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008), Piya Aaye Na from Aashiqui 2 (2013), Mat Aazma Re from Murder 3 (2013), India Wale from Happy New Year (2014) and Tu Jo Mila from Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), among others. He has received six Filmfare Awards nominations, and a Filmfare Awards South. KK was a versatile singer who also recorded songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali. He is survived by his wife Jyothy and their two children.
Sidhu Moosewala (1993-2022)
Sidhu Moosewala was a popular Punjabi singer who was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29, 2022. He was attacked while he was inside in his car and was shot several times. The attacker blocked his vehicle and fired more than 30 shots at him. The singer was known for his controversial lyrical style, often promoting gun cultures while also challenging religious sentiments. He had legal cases against his name for promoting gun culture and using inflammatory lyrics in his songs. His death is said to be caused by gang rivalry and a Canadian gangster of Punjabi origin has claimed responsibility of the murder. However, Sidhu Moosewala was an extremely popular singer not only his native state of Punjab but also among the Punjabi diaspora across Canada, UK and the US. He received instant fame with the song So High. Some of his other hit songs included Game, Warnig Shots, Legend, Tochan and Famous that sent YouTube in frenzy.
With the demise of Sidhu Moosewala and KK, India has lost two of its most popular singers and their absence has left a deep void in the hearts of their countless fans and the music industry.