19/09/2025
What an irreparable loss — made even more heartbreaking by the fact that he was in the midst of creating new compositions, finally working on a film that truly reflected his taste and vision.
I often wonder what the Assamese music industry would have looked like had Zubeen Garg not stepped forward as a vocalist — not just as an instrumentalist. Singers from Bollywood were brought in to pull in audience in the early 1990s. Zubeen Garg changed it all, almost singlehandedly. His voice was a revelation. Clear, expressive, versatile — a fresh sound that resonated deeply with an entire generation.
He breathed new life into forgotten folk songs, into the soul-stirring borgeets, and into the timeless works of legends like Jayanta Hazarika, Bhupen Hazarika, and many other revered composers. I honestly believe many of us wouldn't have truly experienced the richness of Assamese music if Zubeen Garg hadn’t sung them. He didn’t just sing — he compelled us to listen, to feel, to connect.
Zubeen in the 1990s and early 2000s was a force unlike any other. Unparalleled. He had already given us so much — and yet, it feels like there was still so much more left in him. What will haunt us is not only his absence but the void of all the songs, ideas, and magic that will now remain uncreated.
Personally, I was eagerly looking forward to his new experimentations. He adapted effortlessly to new technologies and changing times, without ever losing the soul of his music. And truly — there’s no one who can do it better. There never will be.
Zubeen Garg, you've made us all feel this loss in the most personal way. It is not just a public mourning — it is a private ache for each one of us who has grown up with your voice echoing through tape recorders, cassettes, car radios, CDs, bihu stages, and concerts.
You are not just a part of our memories — you are our memories.
