KK no more: An early end to a beautiful song

Celebrated singer KK (Krishnakumar Kunnath) passed away in Kolkata on Tuesday night. He was 53. KK, the voice of many generations, was universally admired and loved, not least by his friends, colleagues and mentors across industries. Here, some of his oldest collaborators from Bollywood pay tribute to the departed soul.

Leslee Lewis, who launched KK in his debut solo album, Pal 

KK is my baby and has always been. He was a young boy when he came to Mumbai in the 90s. He got the opportunity to do albums with some smaller audio companies, but, on my advice, didn't do them. Finally, I took him to Sony Music and that's how Pal, his debut solo album, happened. He took my compositions for 'Yaaron' and 'Pyar Ke Pal' and made them his own. We used to sit at my home and practise these songs. He was a natural singer, who sang from his heart. Our songs together have surpassed generations. I'm really saddened that a song like Pal brought him to the world and also took him away. 

Shekhar Ravjiani of Vishal-Shekhar

When Vishal and I were working on Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi (1999) separately and first decided to collaborate as composers, it was KK that we both decided on as the voice of the title track. KK was incomparable as a singer. He had the ability to exude sheer power vocally and yet could sing with the deepest emotion and bring so much gentleness and depth when it was needed. He was an absolutely beautiful soul. He was always smiling and radiated positivity wherever he went. 

Himesh Reshammiya, composer

KK was not only a great singer but a warm-hearted human being. He sang some of my most beautiful, timeless songs. I remember meeting him around a year ago at an airport lounge while coming back to Mumbai, as we were performing in the same city. We had some happy  conversations that day and I just can’t get over the fact that he is not with us anymore. He was a true legend and my heartfelt condolences to his family. Every music lover will truly miss him. 

Vinod Bhanushali, veteran music and film producer

It's so sad that KK fell ill while he was on stage, entertaining his fans. He was such a beautiful, talented singer. He was on the top of the charts in the 2000s. My most memorable collaboration with him was on 'Tadap Tadap Ke' (from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). The kind of energy he has put into the song, nobody could have attempted that. He was a combination of talent and humility. His voice suited the face of every actor, be it Salman or Aamir Khan or Emraan Hashmi. His songs became a part of people's life. In our industry, music changes every six months. And yet KK has endured for so many generations. It's a great loss for the world.