This development was confirmed to The Indian Express by festival organisers. “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,” said a publicity official with the festival.
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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to X to mourn the death. He wrote, “Today Assam lost one of its favourite sons. I am in a loss of words to describe what Zubeen meant for Assam. He has gone too early, this was not an age to go.”
He added, “Zubeen’s voice had an unmatched ability to energise people and his music spoke directly to our minds and souls. He has left a void that will never be filled. Our future generations will remember him as a stalwart of Assam’s culture, and his works will inspire many more talented artists in the days and years to come.”
“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,” Ripun Bora, a former Rajya Sabha MP, posted on X.
Assam cabinet minister Ashok Singhal wrote, “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.”
“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,” he wrote.
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Zubeen, 52, worked in the Assamese, Bengali and Hindi film and music industries but had sung in dozens more languages.
