Founding member of beloved Malaysian rock band collapsed over his drum kit two songs into the band’s set at Teruntum Rock Festival
Raja Azreen Raja Talib, drummer and founding member of Malaysian rock band ‘Meditasi’, passed away on July 18 after collapsing onstage during the Teruntum Rock Festival in Kuantan, Malaysia. He was 56 years old.
The band were only two songs into what was planned as a 10-song set when frontman Bakaruddin “Burn” Daud noticed Talib slump over his drum kit. He was immediately carried backstage and rushed to Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead just after 11 p.m. The cause of death was attributed to heart complications.
Daud described the devastating moment: “I rushed towards him, but I could sense that he was already gone. I called out to him and tapped him, but there was no response. His body was already cold.” The frontman added that his bandmate had shown no visible signs of illness before taking the stage. “He was really happy to meet up with friends. He didn’t appear sad or unwell,” Daud said, describing himself as “truly shocked and deeply saddened” by the loss.
Talib’s brother Raja Azman confirmed the medical details, revealing that the drummer had recently been diagnosed with diabetes and had been hospitalized twice in June due to heart issues. “He was hospitalized twice; the first stay lasted two to three weeks before he was admitted again,” Azman told Malaysian publication Berita Harian. He also suggested that extreme fatigue may have played a role, as Talib had gone straight from a BMX competition to the festival that day. “It is possible that extreme fatigue took a toll” on his brother’s heart, Azman said.
Despite being aware of his health situation, Talib remained active and engaged with his passions right up until the end. An avid biker who had formerly owned a bike shop, he had returned to BMX competitions alongside his band commitments as his health appeared to improve.
‘Meditasi’, which means “meditation” in Malay, was originally founded in 1983 under the name Metal Wizard before rebranding in 1989. The band shot to fame during the golden era of Malaysian rock in the 1990s, becoming much loved for their Malay-language rock and power ballads. After a temporary hiatus, they reunited in 2015 and currently have more than 46,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Talib was a founding member of the band alongside Daud and guitarist Rosli Ahmad, and the three had known each other for decades. Daud handled all of the funeral arrangements personally, according to Talib’s brother.
As for the future of ‘Meditasi’, Daud and Ahmad have not yet made a formal decision, though both believe that Talib would have wanted them to continue performing. The fans, visibly alarmed by what they witnessed at the festival, have been expressing their grief and support across social media in the days since his passing.
All Metal extends its deepest condolences to Raja Azreen Raja Talib’s family, friends, and bandmates.
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