Assamese superstar Zubeen Garg, one of India’s most influential musical voices, has died in Singapore at the age of 52. According to officials from the North East India Festival, which he was attending as a Cultural Brand Ambassador, Garg reportedly suffered complications during a scuba diving session.
According to The Indian Express, festival organisers confirmed the news. “We have heard that he had gone for scuba diving and began experiencing breathing complications. The people from the Assam Association Singapore who were with him rushed him to a hospital, where he was admitted to the ICU. He passed away there,” a publicity official quoted by Express said.
Tributes pour in for Zubeen Garg
The news of Garg’s untimely demise has left Assam and the Indian music world in mourning. Former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora wrote on X, “Deeply shocked and saddened by the untimely demise of our cultural icon Zubeen Garg. His voice, music, and indomitable spirit inspired generations across Assam and beyond.”
Assam cabinet minister Ashok Singhal also paid tribute, saying, “Assam has lost not just a voice, but a heartbeat. Zubeen da was more than a singer, he was the pride of Assam and the nation, whose songs carried our culture, our emotions, and our spirit to every corner of the world.”
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“In his music, generations found joy, solace, and identity. His passing leaves behind a void that can never be filled. Assam has lost its dearest son, and India has lost one of its finest cultural icons,” Singhal added.
Legacy of a cultural icon
Born in 1972, Zubeen Garg built a prolific career across Assamese, Bengali, and Hindi music industries, while also singing in dozens of other languages. He rose to prominence as Assam’s most influential cultural figure, and his Bollywood songs earned him nationwide recognition.
