It’s been a year since the brutal killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala and his legacy continues along with the controversy around his death.
Gone too soon
At the peak of his fly-high musical career, Moose Wala was gunned down on May 29 last year by six armed shooters in the Mansa district. While social media is flooded with tribute messages from the slain singer’s fans today many believe Sidhu Moose Wala has now become sort of a lifestyle — his songs, his FB lives, his real-life controversies, and the image of a good-hearted rebel; all are now a complete package. That’s what celebrated singer Shilajit believes.
His legacy continues
Shilajit who has enthralled fans with his rebel voice through his songs for decades feels that Moose Wala's appeal lay somewhere between a popstar and folk icon, between a rebellious truth-teller and a new-age influencer. “Through his songs, Moosewala repeatedly asked for definitions of religion, sanctity, justice, and of what constituted civilised behaviour anyway. Being an internet-driven star of today, the slain Punjabi singer often harked back to an earlier time to make his point. Much of his appeal was entrenched in these contradictions that made him more believable than his peers,” explains Shilajit.
Moose Wala's unapologetic persona inspires many
According to him, this quality to retain his unapologetic persona, even while apologizing for a “mistake”, made his fans believe he was never lying to himself or to them. “It would be dishonest to deny the fact that he was unique. Sidhu was a man of his time, so his life became an extension of his art. To give his musical prowess its due, he was arguably the first Punjabi artist to fully embrace hip-hop,” adds Shilajit who is not only busy with his live shows these days but also gearing up for the release of his next film ‘Niharika’ where he plays one3 of the leads.
Meanwhile, on Moose Wala’s first death anniversary, hundreds of fans gathered at his ancestral village to remember their favourite songstar. Fans have also been streaming into his village to remember the singer on his death anniversary.