Watching KK perform live was a learning experience for me: Shilpa Rao
Like most members of the music fraternity, singer Shilpa Rao is devastated by the sudden death of singer KK. Rao met him around 10 days ago and cannot come to terms with the fact that he’s no more. “We met at a concert and I remember hugging him for two minutes straight. I didn’t know that would be our last meeting,” says the singer, who collaborated with KK for songs such as Khuda Jaane from Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008), Koi Jaane Na from Hijack (2008), Oya Oya from Horn Ok Pleassss (2009) and Apna Bombay Talkies from Bombay Talkies (2013).
Talking about the bond she shared with the late singer, the 38-year-old says, “I believe a bond with a fellow musician is inseparable because their music lives on in our hearts forever. I was fortunate that I had the opportunity of opening his concerts. Watching him perform live was always a learning experience for me. The first time I met him after recording Khuda Jaane, we performed it live together. Even when I was new in the industry, he really supported me. He was a really supportive and caring person.”
Ask Rao if she felt he was unwell when they met recently and she says he looked fine. “I was just so happy to bump into him that we didn’t really catch up on other things,” says the singer, who considers Khuda Jaane her most memorable association with KK: “From recording the song in the studio to performing live with KK, it was a great experience for me. Khuda Jaane would have been incomplete without him.”
As a musician, Rao learnt several things from the Pal singer. “He always said, ‘Let your music do all the work, you don’t need to do anything apart from that (focussing on music). Always stay the same person you are and make sure your behaviour doesn’t change with time. Whether someone is new or established, treat everyone with the same kind of respect.’ I would hold on to these learnings forever,” ends Rao.