2020 in Asian music explained

See also: Timeline of musical events.

Events

• 11 March – Ibrahim Gökçek and Helin Bölek, members of the Turkish band Grup Yorum, are taken to hospital for treatment in the course of their long-running hunger strike, but they are discharged a week later after refusing treatment.^[1]
• Music album on ancient Tamil poetry, by Composer Rajan Somasundaram featured in Amazon's Top#10 International Music albums in July 2020 - ^[2]
• 25 May – Kim Woo-seok releases his first solo single and mini-album.^[3]
• 27 July – Mongolian band The Hu go to the top of the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart with their debut album The Gereg.^[4]

Albums

• AGA – So Called Love Songs (September 28)^[5]
• by Composer Rajan Somasundaram and sung by Bombay Jayashri, Saindhavi, Karthik, Pragathi Guruprasad, Priyanka, William Henry Curry and others - ^[2]
• BTS – (February 21)^[6]
• Hiroko Moriguchi – Gundam Song Covers 2 (June 10)^[7]
• Joji – Nectar (July 10)^[8]
• Sugam Pokharel – Swyet Hanshini^[9]
• Unique Salonga – (March 27)^[10]
• Hemant Sharma – Indra Daliye (May 21)
• Winner – Remember (April 9)
• SB19 – Get in the Zone (Album) (July 31)

Classical

• Bechara El Khoury – Unfinished Journey^[11]
• Jasdeep Singh Degun – Arya^[11]
• Karen Tanaka – Techno Etudes II

Opera

• Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang – M. Butterfly^[12]

Film and TV scores

• Eishi Segawa – The Untold Tale of the Three Kingdoms^[13]
• Gopi Sundar – Entha Manchivaadavuraa^[14]

Musical films

• Chal Mera Putt 2 (India - Punjabi)
• Kilometers and Kilometers (India - Malayalam), with score by Sushin Shyam and songs by Sooraj S. Kurup^[15]
• King of Prism All Stars: Prism Show Best 10 (Japan)^{[16] [17]}
• Love Aaj Kal (India - Hindi)^[18]
• Naan Sirithal (India - Tamil)^[19]
• Sarileru Neekevvaru (India - Telugu)^[20]
• Shahenshah (Bangladesh)
• Street Dancer 3D (India - Hindi)^[21]

Deaths

• January 1 – Katsura Shinnosuke, 67, Japanese rakugoka and musician (leukaemia)
• January 4 – Junko Hirotani, 63, Japanese singer (breast cancer)
• January 19 – Sunanda Patnaik, 85, Indian classical singer^[22]
• February 14 – Sonam Sherpa, 48, Indian guitarist (cardiac arrest)^[23]
• February 27 – Suthep Wongkamhaeng, 85, Thai luk krung singer^[24]
  • • March 17, 79, Taiwanese operatic singer and actress.^[25]
  • Thái Thanh, 85, Vietnamese-American singer.^[26]
• March 29 – Paravai Muniyamma, 82, Indian folk singer and actress^[27]
• April 2 – Nirmal Singh Khalsa, 67, Indian singer and priest (COVID-19)^[28]
• April 3 – Helin Bölek, 28, Armenian/Turkish singer (hunger strike)^{[29] [30]}
• April 6 – M. K. Arjunan, 84, Indian composer.^[31]
• April 8 – Glenn Fredly, 44, Indonesian R&B singer-songwriter (meningitis)^[32]
• April 10 – Shanti Hiranand, 87, Indian classical singer^[33]
• May 5 – Didi Kempot, 53, Indonesian campursari singer^[34]
• May 7 – Ibrahim Gökçek, 39/40, Turkish folk musician (hunger strike)^[35]
• May 16 – Azad Rahman, 76, Bangladeshi composer^[36]
• May 29 – Yogesh, 77, Indian lyricist^[37]
• June 1 – Wajid Khan (Sajid–Wajid), 43, Indian composer (complications from kidney infection and COVID-19)^[38]
• July 30 – Sonam Tshering Lepcha, 92, Indian folk musician and composer^[39]
• August 9 – Alauddin Ali, 67, Bangladeshi composer (lung complications)^[40]
• August 17 – Pandit Jasraj, 90, Indian classical vocalist^[41]
• September 9 – Yopie Latul, 65, Indonesian singer^[42]
• September 16 – Alien Huang, 36, Taiwanese singer, actor and television presenter (aortic dissection)^[43]
• September 25 – S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, 74, Indian playback singer (COVID-19)^[44]
• October 8 – Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, 80, Iranian traditional vocalist master^[45]
• October 9 – David Refael ben Ami, 70, Israeli singer^[46]
• November 10 – Rahayu Supanggah, 71, Indonesian composer^[47]

By country

• 2020 in Chinese music
• 2020 in Japanese music
• 2020 in Philippine music
• 2020 in South Korean music

See also

• 2020 in music

Notes and References

1. Web site: Member of banned Turkish folk group dies after hunger strike. 3 April 2020. The Guardian. 20 April 2020.
2. Web site: A Major event in the world of music- The Hindu Music Review .
3. Web site: 김우석 측 "5월 25일 솔로 데뷔 확정..현재 앨범 작업 중"[공식]]. entertain.naver.com. ko. 2020-05-03.
4. Web site: Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40: 17 July 2020 - 23 July 2020 . . 17 July 2020 .
5. News: AGA's Interview about new album "So Called Love Songs" . KKBOX HK . 15 October 2020.
6. Web site: BTS Are K-Pop's Beatles. Map Of The Soul: 7 Is Their White Album. DeVille. Chris. Stereogum. February 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200225131917/https://www.stereogum.com/2072940/bts-map-of-the-soul-7-review/franchises/the-week-in-pop/. February 25, 2020. March 20, 2020. live.
7. Web site: 森口博子 、６月10日に「GUNDAM SONG COVERS 2」のリリース決定 . Hiroko Moriguchi to release "GUNDAM SONG COVERS 2" on June 10 . MusicVoice . 2020-03-08 . 2020-03-08 . 2020-03-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200308170357/https://www.musicvoice.jp/news/202003080143767/ . dead .
8. Joji announces 'Nectar' album & shares intergalactic 'Gimme Love' video . Billboard . April 16, 2020 . April 17, 2020 . Mamo, Heran.
9. Web site: Sugam Pokharel: The ideal Nepali pop culture Idol. theannapurnaexpress.com. 13 April 2022.
10. Web site: Unique Salonga unveils sophomore album Pangalan – listen. www.bandwagon.asia. 26 March 2020 . 13 April 2020.
11. Web site: Premieres: February's new music. 3 February 2020. Melissa Bradshaw. Rhinegold Publishing. 15 February 2020.
12. Web site: The Latest: Gender-bending opera 'M. Butterfly' set for 2020. May 8, 2019. AP. 13 February 2020.
13. Web site: The Untold Tale of the Three Kingdoms. Nippon TV. 3 June 2021.
14. Web site: Entha Manchivaadavuraa. India Glitz. 15 February 2020.
15. News: 'Kilometers And Kilometers': Release date of the Tovino Thomas starrer gets postponed amid coronavirus threat - Times of India. 2021-03-30. The Times of India. en.
16. Web site: KING OF PRISM ALL STARS プリズムショー☆ベストテン. October 15, 2019. ja. Eiga.
17. Web site: キンプリ新作はプリズムショー総集編！ファン投票でベスト10決定、シンの新ショーも. October 13, 2019. Natalie.
18. Web site: Imtiaz Ali on his films, inspirations and romance. Ushnota Paul. 19 February 2019. Telegraph India. 18 January 2020.
19. Web site: Hiphop Tamizha's tweet for trailer & release date of Naan Sirithal. Twitter/HiphopTamizha. en. 2020-01-04.
20. Web site: Mahesh Babu apprehensive over 'Sarileru Neekevvaru'... budget. The New Indian Express. 28 December 2019. 2 January 2020.
21. Web site: Muqabla: Prabhudeva, Varun Dhawan bring back AR Rahman's iconic song after 25 years. Hindustan Times. 21 December 2019. 21 December 2019.
22. Web site: Eminent classical singer Sunanda Patnaik dies at 85. Prameya News. 19 January 2020.
23. https://www.eastmojo.com/story/news%252F2020%252F02%252F14%252Fparikrama-lead-guitarist-sonam-sherpa-passes-away-at-48 Parikrama lead guitarist Sonam Sherpa passes away at 48
24. Web site: Crooner Suthep Wongkamhaeng dies at 86. Bangkok Post. 27 February 2020.
25. https://focustaiwan.tw/culture/202003170017 Taiwanese opera performer Hsiao Feng Hsien dies at 79
26. Web site: Danh ca Thái Thanh qua đời - VnExpress Giải Trí . vnexpress.net . vi . March 18, 2020.
27. Web site: Popular folk singer and actress Paravai Muniyamma has passed away . 2020-03-29 . 2020-03-29.
28. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/former-hazoori-ragi-nirmal-singh-khalsa-dead-had-tested-positive-for-coronavirus-64557 Former Hazoori Ragi Nirmal Singh Khalsa dead due to COVID-19
29. Web site: Associated Press . Member of banned Turkish folk group dies after hunger strike . The Guardian . April 3, 2020 . April 5, 2020.
30. Web site: Kamer . Hatice . 288 gündür ölüm orucunda olan Grup Yorum üyesi Helin Bölek hayatını kaybetti . BBC News Türkçe . April 3, 2020 . tr . April 5, 2020.
31. https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2020/apr/06/veteran-malayalam-music-director-mk-arjunan-master-passes-away-2126396.html Veteran Malayalam music director MK Arjunan Master passes away
32. Web site: Glenn Fredly Meninggal karena Sakit Meningitis. id. Kumparan.com. 8 April 2020.
33. News: Hindustani classical singer and Padma Shri awardee, Shanti Hiranand, passes away at 87. 11 April 2020. The Economic Times. 11 April 2020.
34. Web site: Didi Kempot Tiba di IGD dalam Keadaan Henti Jantung. CNN Indonesia. id-ID. 2020-05-05.
35. Web site: Grup Yorum member İbrahim Gökçek dies two days after ending death fast. www.duvarenglish.com. en-GB. 2020-05-07.
36. https://www.newagebd.net/article/106569/azad-rahaman-passes-away Azad Rahaman passes away
37. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/lyricist-yogesh-gaur-passes-away-6433187/ Lyricist Yogesh Gaur passes away
38. Web site: Bollywood music composer Wajid Khan passes away . The New Indian Express . 26 June 2020 . 31 May 2020.
39. Web site: Sikkim: Famous music composer Sonam Ts.
40. https://www.dhakatribune.com/showtime/2020/08/09/music-composer-alauddin-ali-dies Music composer Alauddin Ali passes away
41. https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/celebrity/story/padma-vibhushan-pandit-jasraj-dies-at-90-in-us-1712207-2020-08-17 Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj dies at 90 in US
42. https://www.msn.com/en-my/entertainment/news/indonesian-singer-yopie-latul-of-poco-poco-fame-dead-at-65-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19-video/ar-BB18VjaV?li=BBr8Mk9 Indonesian singer Yopie Latul of Poco Poco fame dead at 65 after testing positive for COVID-19
43. https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/taiwanese-singer-host-alien-huang-dies-at-36-due-to-suspected-freak-accident/ Taiwanese singer-host Alien Huang dies at 36 in suspected freak accident at home
44. Web site: SP Balasubramahmanyam dies at age 74 . 25 September 2020. Abishek Jerold.
45. Web site: Legendary Iranian singer Shajarian passes away. 8 October 2020. Mehr News Agency.
46. https://umanshalom.co.il/news-page/ברוך-דיין-האמת-הזמר-המיתולוגי-החסיד-בר/ ברוך דיין האמת: הזמר המיתולוגי החסיד ברסלב ר’ דוד רפאל פיינשיל (בן עמי) ז”ל
47. Web site: Komposer Rahayu Supanggah Meninggal Dunia. 10 November 2020. detiknews. 14 November 2020.