Zubeen Garg, Assam’s best-known singer and a household name across India’s Northeast, died on Friday at 52 from a scuba-diving accident in Singapore, festival organizers and reports confirmed. Garg had gone to Singapore to join the 4th North East India Festival.
Organizers said that he had experienced breathing issues when snorkeling, was given CPR and rushed to Singapore General Hospital, where he was declared dead, NDTV reports. The time of death was as around 2:30 p.m. IST, local media reports.
Garg’s preperformance was on September 20 and 21. Fans from all over the neighborhood were excited to see him.
On his death, musicians and fans flooded social media with tributes, saying that his work helped make Assamese music known across the country.
Releasing a statement, Himanta Biswa Sarma , Assam Chief Minister called Garg “Assam’s favorite rockstar.” This showed how much the people of Assam missed him. In a statement posted on X, Sarma said Assam had “lost one of its favourite sons” and that Garg’s voice “had an unmatched ability to energise people,” adding that his music “spoke directly to our minds and souls,” as quoted by his official account.
Sarma said future generations would remember Garg as “a stalwart of Assam’s culture,” praising his bond with ordinary people and his readiness to help. “That magical voice has forever gone silent. Tragic beyond words,” he wrote, closing with: “Rest well, Zubeen! You will always be Assam’s favourite rockstar,” according to the post.
Garg sung in Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, and other languages for more than ten years.He worked in both film and independent music and built a loyal fanbase in India’s Northeast and abroad.
The government of Singapore has not yet made a public report about the occurrence. Additional information on memorial plans was not available immediately. This article will be updated as further information is verified.
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