What will happen to Bappi Lahiri’s gold collection?

Legendary musician Bappi Lahiri was known for the advent of disco in India and his love for gold. On a typical day, Bappi Lahiri, fondly known as Bappi da, would be spotted wearing multiple gold chains and gold rings. His gold collection and his music, especially the song ‘Jimmy Jimmy’ floored even the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. 

Over the years, the musician had accumulated all sorts of gold jewellery, including rings, necklaces, pendants, along with cufflinks, frames and even idols. One of his pieces, a Ganpati pendant, gifted by his wife caught the eye of Michael Jackson, who thought it was ‘fantastic’. 

With Bappi da’s death, his gold collection is left to his children Bappa and Rema. They plan to preserve the collection and keep every piece intact. A friend of the family told India Today that the family will do everything to preserve his personal pieces. The ones he wore daily including the chains and rings, were kept in a separate box that the musician carried with him everywhere. 

Bappi Lahiri also received a lot of gifts in the form of gold from fans and colleagues, the friend said. “All those pieces will now be preserved as a part of his legacy,” stated the friend. 

Most of his gold items are preserved in transparent cases and boxes, which are locked inside closets, as part of the family heirloom. 

The legendary composer’s love for gold stemmed from his mother, who told him that it would be lucky for him. He even said that his music shone bright once he started wearing gold chains and rings. 

He was very protective of the gold pieces, would look after them personally and supervise the cleaning and maintenance of the pieces, said a source. 

A friend told India Today that he shared a deep and personal relationship with gold and it was not just an ornament for him. Bappi da had realised that the gold jewellery had become his signature look and that it had become an iconic style statement. He was also aware of the love for bling and diamonds that hip-hop and R&B musicians had, and considered himself to be in the same league, the friend stated. 

A special assistant and helper helped the musician take care of his gold pieces. He kept a personal inventory too. It has also been reported that Bappi Lahiri would buy a gold piece with the royalty earnings, following the success of a song or an album. 

Moreover, he was also very particular about granting access to his gold to friends and visitors. He has been known to politely decline requests to take photos with his chains. 

Bappi Lahiri passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday morning at the age of 69. Doctors cited obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as the main cause for his death, apart from other health issues.

(With inputs from Nairita Mukherjee and Tushar Joshi)

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