Eminent Mumbai-based pianist and keyboardist Karan Joseph’s untimely death on the morning of 9 September came as shock to the independent music community in India.
Several questions have arisen in the wake of Joseph’s alleged suicide, including speculation on the involvement of his flatmate Rishi Shah.
Joseph, also called “Madfingers” for his finger-dexterity and musical abilities, regularly played gigs with other musicians across the country. Recently, the pianist played a gig at the Delhi-based The Piano Man Jazz Club on 23 August.
The above is an old video of Joseph performing a jazz cover of Bobby Hebb’s Sunny at the venue on 10 February 2016.
Judging by his profiles on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, Karan Joseph was only sporadically active on social media.
His last Facebook post was a promo for his 23 August gig at The Piano Man Jazz Club and a gig the following night at Depot 48, another music venue in the city.
He had also posted about some of his gigs in his hometown Bengaluru on 21 and 22 July:
Joseph, a graduate from the Berklee College of Music, Boston, also participated in a ‘Sofar Sounds’ gig in Mumbai on 26 June 2016. The above is a video of Joseph performing the famous jazz standard Giant Steps by John Coltrane at the ‘Sofar’ gig.
Days before his death, Joseph is seen sharing a fun moment with his friends:
Earlier this year, Joseph had met AR Rahman; here’s a picture the former shared of the two musicians together:
Joseph was least active on Twitter and last used his account two years ago. This is his last Twitter post:
Joseph shared a 15-second video of himself playing the keys on 12 June 2015:
The exact reason behind Joseph’s death is yet to be ascertained, and the investigation is currently underway.
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