NEW DELHI: On Zubeen Garg's first death anniversary, the 6th Edition of the International Brillante Piano Festival saw a moving tribute to the Assamese music icon, performed by neurodivergent pianist Devanga Bidrum Kalita of Dibrugarh, Assam, in the presence of a galaxy of world who’s who on Saturday.
Zubeen Garg's beloved ‘Mayabini’ filled the auditorium at the British Council, New Delhi, introducing international artistes and delegates to the music of the singer fondly remembered as the ‘Luit Kontho’ — the voice of the Brahmaputra.
The audience included Alison Barrett, Country Director, British Council India; Adam Grieg, Academic Director, AR Rahman's KM Music Conservatory; Elena Riu, Venezuelan-British concert pianist; Tony Yike Yang, Canadian-Chinese concert pianist; Nise Meruno, Yamaha artiste and Naga concert pianist; and other international delegates and musicians.
The Brillante Piano Festival began in Kohima, Nagaland, in 2017, founded by pianist and music educator Khyochano TCK with the aim of building a strong community around music, and has since grown into a movement spanning cities across India. It is recognised as the world's only multi-genre piano festival, bringing performance, pedagogy and competition together on one platform. This year's 6th edition marks the festival's first outing in Delhi, held in partnership with the British Council.
Devanga is part of Brillante's Specially Abled Musicians (SAM) initiative, introduced in 2021 as a dedicated platform for musicians with special needs, reflecting the festival's broader commitment to making performance spaces accessible. Trained in Western Classical piano at Martin Luther Christian University and Middlesex University in collaboration with the KM Music Conservatory, and an ABRSM Grade 8 pianist, Devanga has performed at venues across India and was also a part of the 5th International Brillante Piano Festival held in Bangalore in 2024.
For Devanga, Zubeen is an idol and an inspiration — a reminder of how the late singer's legacy continues to hold so many stories, in the most inclusive ways possible.