Lata Mangeshkar, Bappi Lahiri, Sidhu Moose Wala and KK, 2022 seems to be an unfortunate year for the Indian music industry. From losing the Nightingale of India Lata Mangeshkar to the sudden demise of Bappi Lahiri and from the murder of young artist Sidhu Moose Wala to the shocking death of KK, the industry has faced one setback after another. The death of playback singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK last month left everyone in a state of shock and disbelief. He was only 53 and had performed a concert just hours before he passed away. 2022 has brought irreplaceable losses to the Indian music industry.
Krishnakumar Kunnath aka KK (1968 – 2022)
Well-known Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK, died in Kolkata on May 31. He was 53. KK performed at a concert organised by Gurudas College at Nazrul Mancha in south Kolkata for almost an hour in the evening. Initial hits such as ‘Pyaar Ke Pal’ and ‘Yaaron’ made KK popular among the youths of the country. As a playback singer, he has recorded Bollywood numbers such as ‘Ankhon Mein Teri’ (Om Shanti Om), ‘Zara Sa’ (Jannat), ‘Khuda Jaane’ (Bachna Ae Hasino) and ‘Tadap Tadap’ (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). A versatile singer, KK has also recorded songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali, among other languages. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Sidhu Moose Wala (1993 – 2022)
Popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29, 2022. He was in his car when the attackers blocked him and fired more than 30 shots at him. The singer, never far from controversy’s earshot, who contested on a Congress ticket during the recently held state elections and lost, was popular not only in his native state but Punjabi diaspora across Canada, the UK and the US. Never shy of glorifying caste and strong arm tactics in his songs, he shot to instant fame with the song ‘So High’. Some other hit numbers from his stable which sent YouTube in a tizzy included ‘Game’, ‘Warning Shots’, ‘Legend’, ‘Tochan’ and ‘Famous’, among others.
Bappi Lahiri (1952 – 2022)
The ‘Disco King’ Alokesh alias Bappi Lahiri passed away at 69 on February 15, 2022. Starting to wield the baton at the age of 19, he arrived on the musical scene in a crescendo with ‘Zakhmee’ (1975) for which he composed music and also sang, pushing him to upper echelons at a very young age of barely 22. Lahiri created musical tsunamis with his compositions in various films and has bequeathed a rich musical legacy in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Gujarati films and a variety of western-Indian fusion music for his millions of fans worldwide. Lahiri – who attained fame as India’s first ‘Disco King’ – is survived by his wife, Chitrani, daughter Rema and a son Bappa, who has taken to his dad’s musical career.
Lata Mangeshkar (1929 – 2022)
Legendary singer Bharat Ratna late Lata Mangeshkar passed away on February 6, 2022, due to multiple organ failure aged 92. From the 1940s to the 2000s, veteran singer late Lata Mangeshkar’s work touched many souls, and her contributions to the Indian music industry earned her honorific titles such as Nightingale of India, Queen of Melody, and The Voice of India. Besides setting a Guinness World Record, numerous awards and honours have been bestowed upon her for her outstanding work and contribution to the Indian music industry, including three National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, two Filmfare Special Awards, a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, and numerous other awards.
