A piercing silence gripped Assam on Friday afternoon after the golden voice that kept generations mesmerised for more than the past three decades had fallen silent. Music legend Zubeen Garg’s untimely passing away at the age of 52, in an accident in Singapore, left the entire nation mourning, reflecting the profound admiration for the creative genius across the country. His popular Bollywood number Ya Ali shot him to national fame, but the music icon was deeply committed to his roots in Assam. His albums were not just collections of his popular numbers; they embody the multi-ethnic, multicultural richness of Assam that shaped his chequered musical journey, which began with the release of the debut album Anamika in 1992. Garg was still a teenager when he began his journey into the world of professional music with the release of this debut album that revolutionised Assamese music through the fusion of pop and rock. Unique lyrics, a soulful voice, and modern composition are all perfectly blended into the album numbers, which gave new hope and direction for the younger generation. When the new generation was aspiring for an identity that is in sync with a globalised world that was taking shape, finding their own distinct voice to reconcile with the modern world evolving rapidly around them in which they did not want their cultural roots to disappear but looked for congruence of tradition and modernity, Zubeen Garg’s unique and innovative music gave them new hope for regional identity, and he instantly became their cultural icon. His experimentation continued, and 30 albums he released also won admiration of many among the elderly generation who grew up listening to internationally famed music legend Bhupen Hazarika and were inspired by cultural icons like Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha. Zubeen Garg’s deep admiration for folk remained etched in perfect renditions of Bihu songs that kept the younger generation rooted to their tradition and celebration of Bohag Bihu, which was defined by Dr Bhupen Hazarika as the lifeline of the Assamese. He mastered 12 musical instruments, and this unmatched talent added to his versatility in music composition through experimentation with different genres and helped him craft powerful music. He had woven melodies into the social fabric of Assam, and his idea of an inclusive world of all communities transcended language boundaries. Music has no language barrier, and Zubeen Garg’s rendition in many different languages will echo for eternity to inspire generations beyond cultural, linguistic and political boundaries. He built cultural bridges by singing in as many as 40 different languages, as he did not want his songs, compositions, and experimentations to remain confined to entertainment but to become a carrier of messages for melting cultural boundaries. While his playback songs in Assamese, Hindi and Bengali films were a hit among listeners, which not only contributed to their commercial success but also played a key role in the revival of the Assamese cinema industry that was grappling with the popularity of big-budget Bollywood movies by attracting viewers to cinema halls. Zubeen Garg was not contented with his role as a playback singer or actor in some, and his quest for a new road along his musical journey took him to filmmakingas a producer and director, besides acting. More than shaping his own identity in the Assamese film industry, he was seeking to play the role of a catalyst in establishing regional storytellingon the silver screen with efforts to innovate scriptwriting. The film Mission China, released in 2017, was directed and written by him, and he also acted in it. The film Kanchanjangha, his second directorial venture, could connect with the young cinegoers, which put the Assamese film industry on a trajectory of new storytellingthat reverberated with youth struggling in their lives. Zubeen Garg’s search for authentic folk music and journey to nooks and corners of Assam took him closer to the people and a host of local artistes which helped him look at their struggle for survival and resilience. The passion for music combined with compassion for fellow artistes and people in need prompted him to take the initiative of founding the Kalaguru Artiste Foundation as a charitable trust instituted in hallowed memory of Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha to extend a helping hand and contribute financial assistance to folk artistes, cultural workers and ordinary people in need of medical assistance and people ravaged by flood to help them overcome hardships. Zubeen Garg’s passing away has left a void that will not be filled so soon by another voice, but his songs and music will continue to resonate with not just the contemporary generations but also future generations for the simple reason that these are not mere songs but powerful markers of regional cultural identity – rooted in tradition, yet transformative in tune with changes brought by the advancement in human civilisation. He departed too soon, but the legend lives on.