The sudden passing of Zubeen Garg has left Assam and much of India grappling with a loss that goes far beyond the departure of a celebrated musician. His death in Singapore at the age of 52 is not merely the end of a prolific career; it is the silencing of a voice that embodied the restless energy, cultural pride and defiant spirit of an entire region. Garg’s rise was meteoric and deeply rooted in the social soil of Assam.

Barely out of his teens when his first album captured public attention, he soon became a household name. At a time when the state was mired in violence and political uncertainty, his melodies offered a counter-narrative of hope. Singing in more than 40 languages and dialects, he blurred boundaries between genres and geographies. His ability to switch from hard rock to Bihu folk, from soulful ballads to spiritual compositions, mirrored the diversity of India itself. His concerts were more........

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