KK tribute: Channel V Jammin and the voice of love

Krishnakumar Kunnath (KK) found stardom with his debut album 'Pal', which was released in 1999. He went on to have a successful career in Bollywood.

‘KK collapses after a concert. No more’ is not news I wanted to wake up to, especially because we just sang his ‘Yaaron dosti badi hassen hai’ song at night as we ended a crazy emotional online meeting of high school friends. Please let it be one of those hoaxes, I muttered to myself as I trawled through the news. And I am angry because someone updated his wiki page...

It feels like a gut punch because the songs we love, about love and about longing have his voice. Why am I typing this with misty eyes? About a young man I met so briefly at a recording of Channel V Jammin where he sang with Suneeta Rao. We spoke about our advertising connections: everyone knows he sang ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’ for Pepsi, but how I giggled because he nodded his head and admitted that his was also the voice behind, ‘Santogen suiting Santogen shirting, Santogen hamara’.

I am amazed and grateful that someone uploaded this song from Channel V Jammin:

If everyone is talking about ten best songs KK has sung, you should not be surprised, but he sang ‘South’ songs that are just as incredible and fun. For someone who grew up on R.D. Burman and Kishor Kumar and is self-taught, the magic in his voice is real.

That he was understated is the understatement of the year. He stayed away from every social media controversy that singers seem to be drawn into. He knew his priorities, and those lay with his family. His son sang with him and I was surprised to hear the song. But I guess the quiet ones always surprise you.  While you and I end up buying karaoke machines and singing at home, this lad had a music band as a teenager and pursued his passion for music. I have immense respect for his parents who let his talent fly. Today we take pride in saying my kid does this or that, but very few parents could handle kids who would not fit into the educational streams mapped out for them.

Immense respect for Louis Banks, Ranjit Barot and Leslie Louis who first got his ‘tape’ and UTV who spotted his talent. There was no Spotify to release songs, indie artists had a tough time, so when his album Pal became a hit, it did so on merit not marketing. No Clubhouse rooms supported him, just belief in music.

While everyone will talk about KK’s unique ability to belt out "Tadap Tadap Ke" (from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) or "Chhod Aaye Hum Ye Galiyaan" (from Maachis), it’s the gentler songs of KK that I inadvertently play with that evening cup of tea, because you feel that the one you love has that effect on you:

There is a song that is not a KK original, but KK’s version is so melodious, I must share the song with you, because there is something extra in his voice when he says come along with me:

The songs that he sang are sort of there in our lives just requesting that we "zara si dil mein de jagah tu", imploring you to believe that "tu hee meri shab hai, subah hai, tu hi din hai mera..."  When you look at his discography, most love songs resonate with us. Whether we’ve just been dumped or if we are blissfully in love or just suffering in silence because "mere bina main rehne laga hoon".

These songs and more will continue to be on our playlists and we will learn to live without his new songs. The fans who were there at his Kolkata concert, fans who held up their phones to record their experience of him singing "Yeh Kolkata ke Pal", fans whom he encouraged to sing along will keep him and his family in their prayers now.

Such talent comes once in a while and becomes a part of our evenings of love so easily. I hope the next generation will find a voice that will resonate with their love stories. I hope his family finds peace and as we all grieve for him listen to him sing "Dil Ibadat" again…