KK: ‘Devastated’ fans and colleagues pay tribute to Indian singer
Image credit: BBC
KK, a prominent musician in India, died unexpectedly on Tuesday night, hours after playing at a performance.
Over the course of his career, which began in the 1990s, the 53-year-old, whose true name was Krishnakumar Kunnath, sang hundreds of songs.
He passed out at his hotel in Kolkata city and was brought to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead by doctors.
The cause of death has yet to be determined.
“Not KK” trended on Indian Twitter on Wednesday morning as fans and colleagues expressed their astonishment and amazement at the news.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the condolences, expressing his sadness over the singer’s “untimely death” via Twitter.
KK’s death came two days after Punjabi musician Sidhu Moose Wala was murdered, dealing a devastating blow to music fans in India this week.
KK, who was born in Delhi in 1968, began his career singing advertising jingles and went on to perform in numerous Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, before landing his big break in film music.
His work in the Hindi music industry, however, cemented his status as a generation’s voice.
In the 1996 film Maachis, he made his Bollywood debut as one of the four singers of the powerful Chod Aaye Hum Voh Galiyan (We’ve Left Behind Those Streets) – about the comradeship of four young men on a rebellious journey – set against the backdrop of the Punjab insurgency.
His ability to evoke rage, passion, and yearning – emotions that had previously been completely absent from pop song language – cemented his place in the industry, spawning a new type of rock-style music characterised by slick electric guitar and drum sounds.
Many of his Indian music industry colleagues recalled their time working with him.
According to The Times of India, KK was in Kolkata to play at two college festivals.
The publication quoted a concert attendee as saying, “He was great at the show and was the showstopper.” KK leaves behind a wife and two children.
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