RIP Sidhu Moose Wala: Tributes pour in from around the World

0
121

Ni ehdauthugajawanichjanajamithiye (The funeral will happen in youth). The line is from Late Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala’s latest track, The Last Ride. The song, which was released in May, gathered over 10 million views on YouTube, and had an eerie connection to life and the death of a 28-year-old singer who was shot dead in Jawaharke village of Mansa district, Punjab. The artist met the same fate as mentioned in his song and died young in the misfortunate incident when he was shot dead by unidentified attackers that left everyone in utter shock and a state of grief. 

Seems like the young singer had written his obituary in this song where he said, “Many hated him, and many died wanting him… everything is revealed in the eyes of the young boy.”

Just like the lyrics of the song, some did not like him for promoting gun culture in his songs, but many considered him a legend who established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Punjabi music scene. He was a symbol of success especially for many Indo-Canadian community members because Moose Wala shared a special connection with Canada as he came to Canada as an international student and created many music albums here. 

Candlelight vigils were organized in Surrey at 72 and Scott Road and Holland Park.

Luv Randhawa, the singer, and songwriter from Surrey, while describing what the Punjabi music industry has lost, said, “It hurts. It really hurts to lose a young, legendary youth icon. A person loved by millions leaves the world and it hurts because we don’t know what other potential he had. He could have even been bigger and stronger if he had lived. To have his life cut down like this is just shame. It hurts. He had songs that were good, and songs that were controversial but he always spoke the truth that he knew that he saw because he traveled the world and worked with brilliant producers. Who knows what more truth he would have brought forth if he was alive.”

Randhawa also noted that Moose Wala’s truth was not just written in lyrics, but was audible in his voice. “He did not have a soft voice, but a strong compelling voice that touched our hearts.” Those who knew him or did not know Moose Wala personally went through the same grief because he took Punjabi music to new heights. He was known as a “gentle giant” amongst the people who knew him and wanted to bring back to the community he lived in. 

Randhawa said that the legendary singer made a compelling mindset that he would bring Punjabi music, artists, and industry to the forefront and “which he did. In a career spanning just four years, the rapper had become one of the most ubiquitous faces of Punjab’s fertile hip-hop scene.

And he made it big in every sense. His songs, which he wrote and composed, racked up more than 5bn views, made it to the Top 5 in the UK charts last year, and he was also featured among the best new artists of 2020 in The Guardian. He had millions of fans around the world, especially in Canada and the UK which have a sizeable diaspora population.

Just like his music, the outpouring of grief crossed international lines with Nigerian singer Burna Boy, British rapper Stefflon Don, and Canadian hip-hop heavyweight Drake all paying their respects online while a lot of those also loved Moose Wala unconditionally and took to Twitter to express themselves in heart-wrenching messages.

Shehnaaz Gill, Kapil Sharma, Gippy Grewal, Vishal Dadlani, Preity Zinta, and many others took to social media to express their shock and grief at the sudden death of Moosewala.

Canadian comedian and YouTuber Lilly Singh, paid her respects to Moosewala in a long, heartfelt note. Calling him a legend, she requests her global audience to pause and stream the music of Sidhu Moosewala. Lilly Singh wrote, “Absolutely devastating and upsetting news. To my global audience that may not be familiar, today a young legend in the Punjabi music industry was killed. If you see tribute images of him today, please don’t keep scrolling, but rather take a moment to stream the music of Sidhu Moosewala.”

Moosewala for Lilly was a game-changer. She added, “Beyond the care, he had for his community, he created the soundtrack that made many of us feel seen, a perfect blend of hip hop, rap, and folk music. Rest in power. Gone way, way too soon. Thank you for changing the game.”

Born Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu in village Moosa, Mansa, Punjab, Moosewala did his engineering from Ludhiana,. His big success came with rap So High in 2017. The song courted controversy. The young musician was criticized for promoting gun culture and normalizing violence.

Fans say that Moose Wala was merely confronting the dark truths about modern life and holding up a mirror to society. 

Just like his songs created storms, his murder too has created a political storm in the state with many opposition leaders asking AAP government why his security was taken away. He was among over 400 people in Punjab whose security detail was withdrawn or scaled back recently by the government.

Many names have come forward in his murder, with state police claiming Canada-based gangster responsibility for the attack. However, the family of Moose Wala demanded an apology for linking the death to gang rivalry without a proper investigation.

While the loss of the departed soul will always be with Punjabi music fans, the inconsolable parents of Sidhu Moose Wala showed exemplary courage as thousands of people paid their last respects to the couple’s only child, who was murdered.

Fans felt equally for the singer and his parents. Sidhu Moose Wala was cremated at his ancestral village, Jawaharke. After the cremation, the singer’s father, Balkaur Singh, removed his turban and held it out in his hands towards a sea of people, in what many believed was a moving gesture to show he has lost everything.

Whether he was controversial or was speaking the truth, he made a difference and touched millions of hearts. It will take time for his fans to process the tragic news of his death, especially his parents. As Randhawa puts it in his words, “A mother and father lost a son, fans lost their hero…but the World lost a Legend! May the powers above give strength to the ones he left behind. You left a mark that will be remembered for a lifetime!”