GUWAHATI
: Zubeen Garg was never just
Assam’s voice; he was India’s heartbeat. His music transcended borders, languages, and identities, resonating with people far beyond his home state.
As his mortal remains arrived in Guwahati, tributes were paid in Kolkata and Mumbai by many non-Assamese fans and artists, who saw in him a kindred spirit.
‘Goldie’, the nickname used by Zubeen’s close associates to address him, began his musical odyssey in 1992 at the tender age of 19 with his debut album ‘Anamika’, which touched the hearts of people across the state and remains a hit. Even though the rockstar set his sights on the city of dreams, Mumbai, in 1995, it was the hauntingly beautiful ‘Ya Ali’ from ‘Gangster’ (2006) that catapulted him into the national spotlight.
Despite his success, the singer-actor eventually returned to Assam, citing disillusionment with the attitude of the mainstream Hindi film industry. On several occasions, Zubeen openly shared reasons behind his decision to leave Mumbai forever and work in his home state. He said Mumbai had more attitudes, and to get rid of that, he returned to Assam, stating, “he would die here (in Assam) like a king.”
Bollywood and Marathi playback singer Raagini Kavathekar recalled her association with Zubeen, which began when she met the legendary singer about four or five years ago. Talking to
TOI over the phone from Mumbai, Raagini said the last time she met Zubeen was on Sept 6 in Mumbai at an event related to the celebration of Bhupen Hazarika’s birth centenary. She performed Hazarika’s songs at the event.
Weeping over the phone, Raagini said, “I have been listening to Zubeen from my childhood. He was, is, and will remain a living legend. He is a God for everyone in music. When I listened to Zubeen’s Assamese songs, I also wanted to sing, and I tried singing on several occasions. Music needs no language to connect hearts across different geographic locations, and Zubeen proved that.”
Meanwhile, Bollywood playback singer Armaan Malik paid his tribute by singing Zubeen’s ‘Mayabini’, a video of which he shared on his Instagram handle. He wrote with the post, “Every visit to the beautiful state of Assam, I never failed to sing this song and dedicate it to the one and only Zubeen Garg. Today, singing it feels heavier than ever. Can’t believe he is no more, and it breaks my heart that I never got the chance to truly know him properly, a wish that will forever remain unfulfilled.” Besides them, many Bollywood singers, including AR Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal, Mahalakshmi Iyer, Arijit Singh, Jeet Ganguly, and Jubin Nautiyal, paid their tribute to Zubeen.
The film fraternity of West Bengal paid their tribute to the legendary artist Zubeen during the trailer launch of the Bengali movie “Raghu Dakat” at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Saturday evening. Sharing the video on X handle, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote: “While Assam was his home, Zubeen had a huge fan following in Bengal owing to the large numbers of songs he sang in Bengali. It is heartening to see the film fraternity of Bengal pay their tribute to the legendary artist.”
Also Read: Zubeen GargMusic director and singer Rathijit Bhattacharjee was heard speaking in the video, “It is very unfortunate that we lost him. He was not a Bengali, but his Bengali songs are played in every home in Bengal. He became a new voice of the Bangla industry.” He appealed to the gathering to observe a 30-second silence in remembrance of Zubeen.
Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu, with NDA legislators, observed a two-minute silence in remembrance of Zubeen. “From Assam to the farthest corners of the Northeast, his music inspired millions and became a source of pride for the country,” Khandu said.
Arunachal deputy CM Chowna Mein, while sharing a music video of Zubeen’s song in Adi, Galo, and Nyishi languages on ‘X’ wrote, “Zubeen was not only a legendary artist from Assam but also a cherished friend of Arunachal Pradesh...”
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