A true musical experience is about “losing oneself” in the sound. It is an experience of love, loss, hope, devotion, and surrender to divinity. The ancient Indian philosophy of Nada Brahma (Nada means vibration, and Brahma is the universal spirit) teaches that the universe began with sound. Chants, hymns, and songs create a medium that facilitates the ascent of the soul. They awaken silence—or rather, the sound of silence—within, stirring feelings from the subconscious or even the superconscious mind, where one can access akashic memories. Depending on one’s state of evolution, it may feel like prayer, meditation, or even an organic dialogue with the Divine.
The word that best defines Zubeen Garg’s music is soulful. His songs rise from the earth like the smoke of frankincense drifting toward the heavens. As you listen, the heart begins to calm and the mind gradually detaches from its chatter. This settles into a stillness that is always the prerequisite for experiencing higher states of consciousness. For the people of Assam, his music was never mere music, but a deep state of meditation. On the day the news of his demise rippled through the air, we clung to his songs like never before and felt his soul’s flight back to its source.
When people meditate together, their intentions and focus resonate with one another. Multiple minds entering stillness at once create a stronger energetic field. Many traditions describe this as a “collective vibration,” which uplifts each meditator. Collective meditation dissolves the boundaries of individuality and reminds us that we are part of a greater whole. On September 19, as we tuned into his songs, we were lifted into that state of super consciousness where the logical mind ceased.
A socialist, social rebel, and non-conformist, Zubeen created music that went beyond entertainment—it is like worship, like elevating the senses. An atheist at heart, he acknowledged only the heart, the brain, and emotions as the driving forces of human life. Besides the 40,000 songs he sang in various languages from Bollywood playback, modern Assamese, Hindi, Bengali to folk and devotional songs, he also composed and wrote
more than 30,000 songs. He was not only a singer but also an instrumentalist, filmmaker, and social activist who uplifted the Assamese film industry to new heights. Yet, to the people of Assam, what resonated the most was his voice –his songs touching the hearts.
During Rongali Bihu festivals, Zubeen’s voice echoed across sprawling paddy fields, drifted with the winds over the Brahmaputra’s vast waters, and resonated through the quiet forests peppered with rhinos and water buffaloes.
Zubeen’s music was rooted in folk rather than classical traditions. This gave his songs the rawness of emotion while carrying the melody and polish of classical music and the appeal of pop. His work spanned genres from folk to pop, often intertwined with Sufi tunes of longing.
His Sufi-rock fusions suited his voice best, and he rendered them with impeccable ease and expertise. To listen deeply to his music was to ascend in consciousness.
In today’s global era, when Assamese audiences access the best of world music, sports, and entertainment, Zubeen’s music still stands apart. The way his voice, poise, and personality touched hearts so tenderly that millions poured onto the streets for a last glimpse of him is nothing short of a divine phenomenon. The sweeping emotional outpour was unique, and I cannot but see divinity in it. Those like me, who didn’t step onto the streets, sat glued to television screens for three days straight, watching live broadcasts of millions paying homage—braving humid heat, enduring heavy downpours, and waiting in long queues, humming his melodies through tears.
Zubeen paired his earthy voice with sophisticated instrumental renditions while retaining honesty, sincerity, and a quality that seemed to rise straight from the soil of the motherland—or even a mother’s womb—in every utterance. The emotions poured out unfiltered, giving his music unusual depth. His songs mystically created a modern yet raw appeal that touched everyone—youth and elders alike, tea-garden workers and seasoned politicians.
Music of such depth is not merely an arrangement of sounds; it is a language that transcends words. It creates a meditative atmosphere and, through the heart, awakens the soul, elevating the deeper dimensions of human consciousness. When words take a backseat, melodies and tunes like his speak, bridging ordinary human experience and the realm of the divine.
The impact of soulful music is also physiological. Science has shown that certain melodies and harmonies reduce stress, lower heart rate, and induce deep relaxation. In this state, listeners become spiritually receptive, often feeling unity with something higher and larger than themselves. Even for the unenlightened soul, this fleeting glimpse of the infinite is a profound experience.
Soulful music is akin to prayer. It lifts the spirit and tunes the individual into frequencies of love, peace, and surrender. In such moments, one is no longer merely listening but is immersed in a sacred flow of divinity. In that flow, one feels the pulse of the Creator and the creation—feels the same love energy that breathes through the stars, the trees, and every earthling.
Through this immersion, music becomes a pathway to higher consciousness, even super-consciousness, where all souls merge with one another before connecting to the Almighty.
Dr Suravi Sharma Kumar is a pathologist and an author
