FPJ Interview: Assam Mourns – CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Pays Tribute After Legendary Singer Zubeen Garg’s Tragic Passing (VIDEO)

Q: Sunita, we begin this program with extremely distressing news on Zubeen’s passing. He was a very popular singer from Assam and a Bollywood playback voice, and he’d just performed in Mumbai on September 7 at NCPA. You worked closely with him and organized that event. As someone from the same state, I can’t believe it—how did you get this news?

A: it’s just shocking it’s completely shocking because just two to three days before leaving for Singapore he messaged saying that it was a lovely show and he said that sorry I was tired so I couldn't spend time with you.

Q: It’s unbelievable that our show in Bombay—the last show of his in India or Assam—was right before he went to Singapore. After Bhupen Hazarika, this kind of sensation and following for Zubeen is unbelievable. What did you witness around that show and his craze?

A: Even in Bombay that day we had people coming without passes from the back door and wanting to meet him and see him. It's very sad because because after that people have seen Zubengar as the star as the performer but there was a side to him that was he was a philanth he was a social worker was a philanthropist.

Q: And to think of the manner in which his life came to an end in this freak accident are there any details you’re getting on this? How did you get this news?

A: Uh no, we don't have uh we don't have too many uh details of that. We know that he was in Singapore and then he went for paragliding uh and and I think I think I think he wasn't at the best of health probably because uh you know he had recovered from his illness as much as we know but then he looked fine when we met him in Gojhati last he looked fine when he came to our show in Bombay and uh we don't know what happened maybe uh maybe it's just that one of those things it was just maybe he pushed himself too hard I mean I mean unbelievable such a and he's just 52 years old and he had inspired a generation of young people.

Q: You mentioned your nephew, an aspiring singer how is he coping with this?

A: Yeah, but then he's so he's so inconsolable. He's not able to come. He's just gone off to his room. He's not able to he said he's not able to talk. In fact, he had come. In fact, he was so crazy about him that recently he came and uh he met we he met Zubengar and he has a guitar signed by him and he has a little bit of a song that he sang in front of him and he's saying that these are my that the guy is not there meaning that's the kind of craze he's a 17 year old guy and he's completely devastated and he just told me that uh Rumipe which is I'm his aunt he had 35,000 songs to his credit I mean isn't Unbelievable. At 52 years of age, he started singing from the age of three. And in 16, his anamika when he was 18 or 19, his album Anamika became a super duper hit.

Q: As a musician who has made a mark nationally and internationally—how big a loss is it? What kind of void are we talking about?

A: it's a huge huge loss because the kind of music that he used to churn out year after year and then he had started making there were a lot of people riding live people's livelihood riding on Zubin Gardafa he had he had made so many films there's this new film of his which is getting released that was his new passion and uh you know there are so many and there's so many aspiring singers and artists that he supported in fact his uh his uh Kalaguru artist foundation is for aspiring artists and used to go all out to support them so there is a huge umbrella gone away from the aspiring musicians of Assam. That's one. Number two is that the Behoo programs the headlining of every Behoo, you know, the iconic Behoo mega festival that happens for two months. Every Behoo in look and corner of Assam in the smallest village in town has to have Zubeng headlining where people up till laks come and they start queuing from the morning of the day of the evening show. Can you imagine? And that's a huge loss. And thirdly, his close friends, his family, his wife, uh it they don't make them like him anymore. He was a he was a different kind of a guy. Full heart, full heart and and full soul. So he's going to be so thoroughly missed the kind of lives he's impacted. A Bombay Asamese community is devastated.

Q: What is your memory from that day—your last interaction? As a musician and friend, any memorable moments you’d share?

A: uh he said I will sing kunumoy that song that he loved of and and then he took me to his newly made studio completely newly renovated studio and then he showed me a mic which had a golden tip and uh and typical zubin sty he said that why don't you come and you know you should come and record I said okay after our event I'll definitely come and record he said great so you know a huge regret that I don't have I didn't do anything with him you know I wish I had record I had lost touch in between with him uh but I had reconnected again and that's one and at the event at the event all I remember is that he was there on time he arrived he was

Q: Let’s hear what the Chief Minister has said on this bit of news—how are leaders reacting?

A: He's such a spirited and uh you know vivacious person and that energy that aura um I've seen a lot of performances he had that ease you know when he was singing he's a performer and the way he showed up I I should put that uh picture up this is from his this you're saying is his last big performance in India last performance in India yeah because after that he went to Singapore And I think he did a street he he jammed with some street musicians in Singapore. … irreparable loss for the Asame people that he and the world music lovers of the world he just talked about that … Ripun Bora, former minister in Asam. Deeply shocked and saddened by the untimely device demise of our cultural icon Zubing. His voice, music and indomitable spirit inspired generations across Asam and beyond. My heartfelt condolences to his family fans and loved ones. Rest in peace. Uh lot of these messages are out.

Q: Social media is flooded with tributes. He was in Singapore—what do we know about the accident (scuba diving) and what followed?

A: It's it's like uh you know social media has been bombarded with tribute messages. Many say it's an era. It's a Assam's heart throb. Um he was in Singapore. He died during an accident while scuba diving. He was rescued, rushed to the hospital. He could not survive. Uh as chief minister, we just heard his reaction just now and uh flooded with messages.

Q: How are family and fans taking this?

A: My mother my mother Afrida who's 85 and a violent he said she says that I've never felt so sad. I'm feeling as sad as I felt when Gupin Hazarika passed away. … I have never felt like this and I'm same same feeling and same sorrow and same sock I have been bearing now … quickly playing out that bit you know again it's going to stick to me you know that that video and fortunate of us that we witnessed him in that you know our last memory perhaps will be this song and it's u it's telling also So the song talks about how his voice will stay, his echo will stay forever in the minds of people.

Q: For our readers, could you recap the key facts?

A: Thanks to free press journal for free pre journal for giving this much time to our legend and friend. … Zubengards this last performance la on a big stage was in Mumbai on the 7th of September. This was during a event called Ganga Hoku organized in the honor of late Bupin Hazar and he sang one of his popular songs … Uh he died at 52. This was a freak accident in Singapore. He is undoubtedly one of northeast's most popular singer. He has fallen silent forever. Asam CM Himont Visha Sharma also reacted … Unbelievable that a life so vibrant, a singer with so much life in him, there was so much life left in him actually that he had to go.