The music industry is mourning the death of legendary Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, 52, who died on Friday after a fatal scuba diving accident in Singapore. The musician was in the country to perform at the North East India Festival and had even urged his fans to see him perform live in his final Instagram post, which he uploaded only two days before his tragic death.
The musician posted a video welcoming fans in Singapore to the fourth North East India Festival. He said, “Hi, my friends from Singapore, I am coming to Singapore tomorrow, and we are organising an event called Northeast Festival there. I am Zubeen Garg from Bollywood and Assam, Northeast. And I’ll be coming to join you, and I invite all of you to join us for this cultural event. It’s a traditional event from the Northeast. We organise it in different places, and this time we are doing it in Suntec City, Singapore. All are invited; see you there. I’ll be performing and talking to you, and be there with you. Thank you and love you, Singapore.”
Zubeen further stated in the caption that he would perform his popular Hindi, Bengali, and Assamese songs on the evening of September 20 and would be present throughout the festival as its cultural brand ambassador.
Following the announcement of his passing, the post was inundated with kind messages. One commenter wrote, “Rest in peace, legend. Nobody can take your place. Another person said, “Rest easy, Zubeen da.” “We`ll all miss you.” A distraught fan commented, “Please tell me this is a fake. Can`t believe you`re gone so soon.” Another simply stated, “Still hard to believe.”
Ashok Singhal updated fans about Zubeen`s demise
The musician rose to prominence in Assam in the 1990s and became a household name across the country following the success of his 2006 hit song Ya Ali. On Friday, Assam`s Cabinet Minister Ashok Singhal announced the news of his death on X, writing, “Deeply saddened by the untimely demise of our beloved Zubeen Garg. 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.”
Pritam`s heartfelt note for Zubeen
According to North East News, Zubeen was participating in a scuba diving exercise in Singapore when he fell into the sea. He was rescued and sent to the ICU, where he subsequently died. His demise has shocked both the music industry and the nation. Pritam, a music composer, also expressed his sadness over Zubeen`s death, writing on X, “Zubeen losing his life in an accident is just the most dreadful and saddest news. I`m still struggling to accept it… I extend my heartfelt sympathies to Garima and his family. Om Shanti.”
