Have you ever sat beside a window and reflected on how beautiful life is? When the dark clouds rumble and the first monsoon rain hits the ground, a melody starts to play spontaneously in our minds. These were the melodies sung by some unforgettable singers who never missed a chance to romance our hearts and make us forget about the rat race that we live in.
As we pursue this year to stand back on our feet, the effort is proving harder than we imagined since we lost some incredible geniuses from the music industry. The late Lata Mangeshkar, KK, Bappi Lahiri, Pandit Shivakumar Sharma and Siddhu Moosewala are amongst the ones whose demises have been arduous to accept.
In honour of International Music Day celebrated on Tuesday, let’s remember our departed musicians by celebrating their music and the extravagant lives that came with their hard work.
Table of contents
KK: The One Who Gave Us the Friendship Anthem
You’ve spent way too long dressing up in your friend’s hostel room. And now you’re wearing skinny jeans and fake Ray-Bans. College Fest season has officially begun. You’re now going in for a group hug with your college crew as ‘Yaron Dosti’ plays in the background at the end of the night.
Oh, and are we missing the good old childhood crush now?
Krishnakumar Kannath, a.k.a KK started his career by singing 3500 jingles in 4 years, and in 11 different languages. However, A.R. Rahman brought KK into the spotlight of playback singing when he sang his first Bollywood number, ‘Tadap Tadap Ke’ for the movie ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ in the year 1999. Before his demise, he was recording a song for Srijit Mukherji’s Sherdil: The Pilibhi Saga, starring Pankaj Tripathi, which is yet to be released.
KK, besides being a great singer and a heartbreak healer for many, had a variety of indulgences. He enjoyed horseback riding and was a fan of swanky, luxurious rides. His collection of expensive vehicles included a red Jeep Cherokee, a Mercedes Benz and an Audi RS5, which he had just purchased.
According to verified sources, his net worth was approximately $1.5 million and his assets were valued at over Rs 11 crores. For a single concert, he charged between Rs 10 and 15 lakhs.
Besides being from Delhi, the late singer also owned a luxurious home in the city. He also owned a palatial but cosy residence in Mumbai, where he lived with his wife Jyothi and their two children.
We may not be able to hear KK sing anymore, but his legacy will forever live in our hearts. His songs will be cherished for a lifetime. Songs like ‘Khuda Jaane’, ‘Tu Hi Mera Shab Hai’, ‘Tadap Tadap Ke’, and ‘Yaron Dosti’ are some of his timeless melodies and lyrics that you can hum even while sleepwalking.
Siddhu Moosewaala: The One Rooted to His Pind
Siddhu Moosewaala, who left his fans in a lurch and in immeasurable sorrow, was shot dead on May 29, 2022. Moosewalaa was a self-made rap artist who hailed from Punjab and made rap a massive hit in the rural areas. Although he was criticised for promoting gun culture and masculine pride, he resonated with his Punjabi community around the world by raising awareness of the plight of Indian agrarian society. He, however, never glorified the use of guns but only promoted their use in self-defence, similar to that of the Black Power idealogue of Malcolm X in the US. Despite studying and living in Canada for many years, his heart and roots were well instilled in his pind.
His debut song, titled ‘G Wagon,’ released in 2018, marked the beginning of his career. In total, he sang around 63 songs. The songs that peaked his career were ‘295’ and ‘So High.’
In Moosewala’s life, luxury was always a priority. From owning a fleet of luxury cars and bikes to being the most expensive Punjabi singer, his net worth was an outcome of his talent. Among the cars he owned were a Mercedes-Benz AMG G-63, a Toyota Fortuner, a Jeep, a Range Rover, an Isuzu D-Max, and a Mustang. His total net worth was Rs. 30 crores and his fees for a concert were a whopping Rs. 18 lakhs.
He was also the proud owner of property worth Rs. 29 crores.
Moosewala’s fans will remember him not only for his songs but also for his beliefs in respect to the agrarian society in Punjab. Songs were a way he communicated with his people and the government.
Lata Ji: The Nightingale of India
We grew up listening to a voice that could make us cry, laugh and dance within seconds. A voice that represented our nation worldwide; a nightingale’s voice—Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away due to multiple organ failures at the age of 92, will forever be a part of our lives.
Mangeshkar recorded songs for over 1,000 Hindi films, making her an icon of Indian cinema. Her songs like ‘Lag Ja Gale’, ‘Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein’, ‘Dil To Pagal Hai,’ have the power to make you travel through time. Several songs from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1973 musical drama ‘Abhimaan’ have gained cult status.
Lata Ji was the proud owner of a luxurious abode ‘Prabhu Kunj’, nestled in the posh Pedder Road area of South Mumbai. Luxury cars were undoubtedly the Nightingale’s favourite, as her fleet included many of them. Her first car was a Chevrolet, which she bought from her mother, and apart from this, she had a Buick, a Chrysler, a Hellman, and a Mercedes, which was gifted to her by Yash Chopra at the music release of ‘VeerZara’. Her total assets are estimated to be in the range of Rs. 200 crores. If this wasn’t enough, Lata Ji was also featured in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist with an estimated 30,000 songs in 1991!
While the Queen of Melody has earned a substantial fortune over the course of her career as a vocalist, it does not match the respect and success she has enjoyed. A voice like hers might not be heard again, but she sure gave us a lot to remember.
Bappi Lahiri: The Unforgettable Disco Da
Remember grooving to ‘I am a Disco Dancer’ or ‘Tamma Tamma’ till your feet hurt? The energy, the whole vibe, and the mood – one can feel the presence of Bappi Lahiri in his songs. Bappi Lahiri, who was addressed as ‘Bappi Da’ by his fans, never failed to surprise the shutterbugs with this collection of gold jewellery. Gold chains and golden clothing became his signature style, which he carried with utmost confidence. The reason behind him donning 7-8 chains and other gold jewellery is not just about fashion, Bappi Da believed that gold brought him luck. He loved his gold aesthetic, and so did we. He wasn’t just a musician or a singer, he was also a music programmer, actor, and judge.
Bappi Da, along with all the gold, was extremely fond of luxurious and fast-speeding cars. He owned a BMW, an Audi, a Tesla, and many more. His home came at a cost of Rs. 3.5 crore. His net worth was rounded off at around $3 million (Rs. 22 crores).
Bappi Da was also featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for recording 180+ songs for 33 films which were released during a single year (1986).
From giving us the iconic ‘I am a Disco Dancer’ to the sensuous ‘Oh La La’, Bappi Da could do it all. It is his talent and personality, which he has left behind in his songs, that still catch the attention of youngsters. Without Bappi Da’s groovy tunes and songs, no event is complete, and we certainly will remember him for creating some of the best ones to date!
Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma: The One Who Honed the Santoor
Pandit Shiva Kumar Sharma was a classical musician and a composer who brought Santoor to the forefront. He was the first classical artist who gave the Santoor, an Indian classical instrument, exposure on the world stage. During his Santoor-vaadan, one could forget about the person he was and surrender to the sweet strings of the Santoor. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is another gem we lost this year.
Along with several great honours from the government, he continued to travel across the country to spread the magic of Santoor and Indian Classical music. Aside from classical music, he also contributed greatly to pop music, that is, Bollywood, and played Santoor in over 40 films.
Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma’s net worth was accounted to be $4-6 mn or Rs. 27-30 crore.
It was Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma’s world-renowned melodies, such as ‘Call of the Valley’, that brought Indian classical instruments to the forefront of world music. His compositions for movies like ‘Silsila’, ‘Chandni’, ‘Lamhe’, and ‘Darr’ will be remembered till the end of time.
An Adieu to the Legends
From ‘Lag Ja Gale Se Phir’, ‘Yaar Bina Chain Kahaan Re’, ‘Yaad Aayenge Ye Pal’, ‘295’ to the hypnotic Santoor tunes, all these artists had the ability to transport you to somewhere you only dreamed about. Time never stops, but what stays is the art created by these legends; Lata Ji, Bappi Da, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, KK, and Siddhu Moosewala. We bow to these excellencies.
