Sheil Sagar, a musician based in Delhi, India, died on June 1. He was 22. Sagar’s cause of death remains unknown, but his friends and colleagues shared the news with fans. He was a versatile musician who rose to fame through India’s independent music scene.
“Today is a sad day… first KK and then this beautiful budding musician who had us in awe with his rendition of my favorite song [‘Wicked Games’] may you rest in peace #SheilSagar,” a friend wrote on social media, reports Hindustan Times. “R.I.P [Sagar] I didn’t know him personally but I once attended his show and so I was able to connect with him and the phase he was going through as an artist, I really loved the way he made music,” another fan wrote. “We lost a gem. Please start supporting independent even every artist.”
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Sagar’s debut single, the acoustic song “If I Tried,” became a hit on Spotify last year with over 40,000 streams, reports Rolling Stone India. He released three more singles in 2021, “Before It Goes,” “Still,” and “Mr. Mobile Man (Live).” The single version of “Mr. Mobile Man” was recorded at the Piano Man Jazz Club in Gurugram.
The musician played piano, guitar, and saxophone and produced his own songs. Sagar was also known for his low-baritone voice and was a former vice president of the music society of Hansraj College. He was popular in the Delhi University music community and won several songwriting competitions organized by Global Music Institute, Compass Box Studio, and others. He also performed on singer-songwriter Anchit Magee’s EP Adhoore.
Sagar’s death is the latest to shake up the Indian music industry. Veteran Bollywood performer Krishnakumar Kunnath, best known to fans as KK, died on May 31, hours after performing in Kolkata. An autopsy determined he died of a heart attack. He was 53. KK reportedly complained about “uneasiness” during his final concert and was rushed to the hospital after performing.
After Kunnath’s death, questions about the concert venue arose. It was reported that the venue was overcrowded and the air-conditioning units stopped working. At one point, KK asked for spotlights to be turned off and he needed towels to wipe off sweat. “Despite the exhaustion, KK responded to the enthusiasm of the audience and continued to sing, belting out one number after the other [until] he could continue no more,” Sudipto Mitra, who attended the show, told the Times of India.
