Assam's voice falls silent: Remembering Zubeen Garg

Celebrated Assamese singer and music icon Zubeen Garg has tragically passed away at the age of 52 following an accident in the waters off Singapore. He was in Singapore to participate in the North East Festival, scheduled to perform today. Even on his last day on earth, he was ready to give his all to his audience – that was Zubeen.

Six years ago, India Today Magazine captured the essence of this extraordinary artiste in words that ring even truer today. They wrote about a man who would climb stage poles mid-concert, sleep on stage when tired, and arrive hours late to his shows. Yet when he made a film, millions rushed to theatres. That was the power of being Zubeen Garg in Assam.

He recorded more than 38,000 songs in 40 different languages over 33 years – numbers that speak to an artiste who never stopped creating. He played 12 different instruments and poured his heart into every note. His 2017 film Mission China became a phenomenon, with special screenings organised in places without theatres and people hiring buses from far-flung areas just to watch it.

The India Today piece from years ago described him perfectly: "A veteran of nearly 17,000 songs in 15 languages, the 45-year-old has been the bedrock of the Assamese music industry since he released his first album, Anamika, in 1992 as a 20-year-old college student." Those numbers have only grown since – a manifestation of his relentless creativity.

He rose to national fame with "Ya Ali" from Gangster in 2006, but he chose to return to Assam to work among his own people. "I don't like the concrete world of Mumbai and the complexities of its film industry," he had said. That choice defined him – he was Assam's son first, a national star second.

His idiosyncrasies kept him in headlines, but for his fans, he was their everything. Writer PK Devchoudhury saw him as a son, while political commentator Dileep Chandan called him still a child. He flouted ULFA's diktat to sing Hindi songs during Bihu, hit the streets every year for flood relief, and stood with his people during distress. He supported Tibet's independence for over a decade.

Known as the 'rockstar of the Northeast', Zubeen Garg was more than a singer. He was Assam's pride, the Northeast's pride, a man who lived authentically and in the moment. He was different because he refused to be anything other than himself.

Today, that voice has been silenced, but the songs remain. The legacy of a man who chose his people over the glitter of Mumbai, who sang with his heart on his sleeve, who was scheduled to perform until his very last day. That was Zubeen – always ready to give, always ready to sing, always ready to be there for his people.

The concrete world of Mumbai never got him. But Assam? Assam will never forget him.