Raja Azreen Raja Talib dies onstage at Malaysian festival

Malaysian drummer Raja Azreen Raja Talib died at age 56 after collapsing onstage during a festival performance in Kuantan, Pahang, on July 18.

Azreen was playing the second track of a 10-song set with his rock band Meditasi, which translates to Meditation in English, during the Teruntum Rock Festival when he suddenly collapsed. Meditasi frontman Bakaruddin "Burn" Daud rushed to his side immediately after the sudden collapse.

"I rushed towards [Raja], but I could feel that [he] was gone," Daud told news outlet Berita Harian Online. "I called and patted [him], but there was no response. His body was also cold. The fans were quite alarmed when they saw what was happening."

Band members carried Azreen backstage, and an ambulance arrived within a few minutes. "Alhamdulillah, everything was made easier," Daud said. Azreen was rushed to the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan, where he was "given respiratory assistance, but he did not regain consciousness or respond after the collapse."

Recent health issues

Azreen's elder brother, Raja Azman Raja Taib, revealed that the musician had experienced health complications shortly before the concert. Taib said Azreen had been hospitalized twice in June due to heart issues, noting that the first stay lasted two to three weeks before he was admitted again.

"It is possible that extreme fatigue took a toll," Taib said.

The 62-year-old singer Daud said he was in shock because Azreen did not appear sick prior to the music festival. "The only thing I noticed was that his body was very thin," Daud recalled. "After being diagnosed with diabetes last month, [he] was very careful about his diet and avoided sugar."

Band history and final concert instructions

Azreen joined Meditasi back in 1986. The Malaysian rock band currently pulls 46,567 monthly listeners on the digital music platform Spotify. Prior to the performance, Azreen ominously instructed the band to wear all-black for the concert.

"[Raja] said that no matter what happened, the performance must continue," Daud recalled. The frontman explained that the instruction came because another band member was unwell. "At that time, he said that because one of the members of Meditasi, our guitarist Rosli Ahmad, was also not feeling well. So he said that no matter what happened, 'the show must go on.'"

Daud noted that Azreen "was very happy to be able to see his friends" during the three days of rehearsal leading up to the show.

Future of Meditasi

Following the death of their longtime drummer, Daud reflected on the future of the rock group. "We have not yet discussed [the future], but we will continue the group's struggle. Because as [he] said, the show must go on," Daud said. "We are no longer chasing money, we just want to find friends and fill our free time."