When was it the last time when, a famous musician was murdered in the broad daylight? In all probability when John Lennon was assassinated in October 1980 – John Lennon of the Beatles fame who created a revolution in music.
Sidhu Moose wala at the tender age of 32 is a sad inclusion in this category after being gunned down brutally outside his home in Moose wala, in Mansa district in Punjab. Here was a singer who literally rose from the ashes or dust to make a name for himself only on his verbal prowess and the angst of rendition of the songs. Seeped in hip-hop tradition, he brought a typically desi rural touch to his music videos and it was one of the prime reasons for his amazing fan following all across the globe.
Dear Mama
Such is the state of shock in Punjab across the spectrum that almost all of the fans and even otherwise, the citizens of Punjab of Sidhu Moose wala have changed their status to display images of his mother along with himself. Actually, most of the female citizens had displayed the image of the “Dear Mama” song as their social status. “Dear mama”’ was released in 2020, it endeared the audience, and the song became a smash hit. So much has been written about mother but the lyrics that Sidhu Moose wala put were just an outpour from heart – “Kade suraj wangu tapda kade shaant svere warga han, maa mainu lagda rehnda, main jma tere warga han. Love you maa Happy Birthday Maa” i.e. sometimes you ensnare like sun while at other times you are tranquility of the morning, O mother I keep on having this feeling that I am completely like you.”
Popular largely for his gangster rap, he was a man who was down to earth and seeped in his village. He popularised the name of his village Moosa, which is a forlorn village in Mansa district in Punjab, one of the backward districts. He could generate such a phenomenal fan following among the local youth of Punjab on account of the lyrics that he used and also the accompaniments in his song, most famous being the tractor which he spun on the back wheels a large number of times.
Fortuitousness
Fortuitous as it may sound, 10 months ago, Sidhu Moose wala had released a song- 295 and its last line in the opening lyrics were – ‘last ride’ and it did become the last ride for him when he was shot dead on 29 May 2022.
Moose wala and Guns
Sidhu Moose wala was also associated with promotion of guns through his songs and an element of controversy was associated with his personality. In one of the songs, he featured a few Punjab Police officials teaching him how to operate an AK-47, while in another video he was shown displaying a pistol. For Punjab, owning and displaying a fire weapon has been a matter of pride and this was further accentuated by a series of songs that Sidhu Moose wala composed.
The citizens of Punjab have taken his loss to heart and there are reports that more than 4 lakh fans have congregated at his village to pay tribute to the son of Moosa. He did live by the gun and ultimately the gun snuffed out his life.
