Popular Assamese singer Zubeen Garg died in a freak accident in Singapore.
The singer died after a scuba diving accident. Although he was rescued from the sea and taken to the nearby hospital, the doctors were unable to save him.
Zubeen Garg, a singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, renowned especially in Assamese, Bengali, and Bollywood, was in Singapore for the North East Festival. He was scheduled to perform at the festival on Friday.
Widely regarded as a cultural icon in Assam, the death has shocked his fans.
"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," wrote Assam minister Ashok Singhal.
His voice, music, and indomitable spirit inspired generations across Assam and beyond, wrote former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora.
"There was never an artist like Zubeen Garg for Assam, and there never will be. He was the voice of our youth, the pride that made people from other states say, ‘Oh, you are from the land of Zubeen Garg.’," wrote a fan.
