Drummer Dies Mid-Performance at Malaysian Rock Festival

A 56-year-old drummer tragically passed away onstage during the Teruntum Rock Festival in Kuantan, Malaysia, on July 18th. Raja Azreen Raja Talib, a member of the rock band Meditasi since the late 1980s, collapsed while performing their second song of a set. His bandmates attempted to revive him but he was unresponsive, and he was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly before 11 p.m. local time.

Reports indicate that heart complications were the cause of death. Talib's brother revealed that the drummer had been recently diagnosed with diabetes and had been hospitalized in June for heart issues. He also noted that Talib had recently participated in a BMX competition and may have experienced extreme fatigue. Meditasi, a band active in the 1980s and 1990s and reunited in 2015, will continue to perform despite this loss.