ASSAM, India (The Statesman/ANN): Assam singing sensation Zubeen Garg has died in Singapore after a freak accident on Friday (Sept 19).
Speaking to the Indian media, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said it is a huge loss for the north-eastern state.
Garg was admitted in a critical condition after a scuba diving accident in Singapore, where the police rescued him from the sea and rushed him to hospital.
Although doctors provided treatment to the singer in the intensive care unit and monitored his condition closely, they could not revive him.
Garg is survived by his wife and father. He had travelled to Singapore to attend the North-East Festival – an event showcasing products and cultural heritage of India’s north-eastern region – and was scheduled to perform on Sept 19.
News of the accident has left his fans and well-wishers deeply worried with condolence messages pouring in.
The 52-year-old singer shot to fame with the song Ya Ali, from the 2006 film Gangster.
“He was taken by God much ahead of time. He planned so much to do for the people, but his journey was cut short,” said his uncle, Mr Manoj Borthakur, talking to The Statesman.
A man of many emotions
Born in Tura, Meghalaya, in 1972 and raised in Jorhat, Garg was named after the renowned orchestral conductor Zubin Mehta.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, he recorded more than 38,000 songs in nearly 40 languages, his voice crossing genres, cultures, and generations.
He captured Assam’s imagination with his debut album called Anamika in 1992, a landmark in the state’s music scene.
Over the years, his artistry was recognised with honours, including the Global Indian Music Award, the Filmfare Award (East), multiple Prag Cine Awards, and the Assam State Film Award.
Beyond the stage, Garg was a humanitarian with a fierce social conscience.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, he converted his Guwahati residence into a care centre, providing shelter and medical support to patients.
He championed the cause of tea garden workers, spoke for environmental conservation, and inspired young talent across the north-east with his mentorship and generosity.
Sarma mourned him as the state’s truest cultural ambassador.
“Today, Assam lost one of its favourite sons. Zubeen’s voice had an unmatched ability to energise people, and his music spoke directly to our minds and souls. He has left a void that will never be filled. Our future generations will remember him as a stalwart of Assam’s culture. That magical voice has forever gone silent. Tragic beyond words!” Mr Sarma wrote on X.
Across the region, tributes continue to pour in.
Political leaders remembered him as “the voice of Assam”. Fellow musicians described him as a “restless genius whose artistry defied boundaries”.
Fans in towns and villages, meanwhile, sang his songs in unison, holding on to the melodies that shaped their lives. — THE STATESMAN/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
