Heartthrob Zubeen Garg: An eternal treasure

Harsha Mohan Sarma 

(harshasarma183@gmail.com)

Zubeen Garg is Assam’s eternal treasure. We adored this  priceless asset in the form of Zubeen during his lifetime, but somewhere we failed to preserve him well. At just 52 years of age, Zubeen—who lent his voice to nearly thirty-eight thousand songs in different languages—was truly a genius beyond compare. In his musical journey of about 35 years, he sang on average around a thousand songs a year. If we calculate more minutely, it means he recorded about three to four songs daily. This indeed was an unparalleled talent. Apart from Assamese, he sang in Hindi, Bengali, Nepali, Bodo and nearly forty other languages. Zubeen played a crucial role in making Assamese songs resonate in people’s hearts. By fusing local melodies with Western, African, and other global musical elements, he helped make Assamese songs popular not only in India but across the world. That is why he was able to rise to the peak of popularity. Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika, during his lifetime, sang about fifteen hundred songs, most of which were written and composed by himself. Dr Hazarika’s songs mostly dwelt on the problems of people and the path toward liberation. His works emphasized universal human love, social unity, peace, harmony, and the vision of a society without division. Through his songs, freedom-loving masses found inspiration to struggle for their rights. On the other hand, Bob Dylan—the 2016 Nobel Laureate in Literature—has written and sung only about six hundred songs till now. In Dylan’s songs one finds themes of separation and pain, social justice, life’s uncertainty, appeals to people to rise against the horrors of war, the destruction of injustice and oppression, the search for truth, and resistance against class-divided societies. A deeper analysis shows that the underlying rhythm in both Bhupen Hazarika’s and Bob Dylan’s songs is the same—the realistic portrayal of the life of freedom-seeking people.

How many songs Zubeen Garg wrote himself is not known precisely, though it is assumed to be around a hundred. In most of Zubeen’s songs one finds the expression of adolescence and youth—love, separation, nature, and the chirping of birds. He has only a few self-written and self-composed songs of a philosophical or life-orientated nature. Among them, “Sonere sojoa poja johi khohi jai…” and “Jonak gola jaror nisha, mur thoi sheta shetelit…” are noteworthy thoughtful creations. However, Zubeen also sang numerous songs written by other lyricists, which display wide thematic diversity. In them we see reflections of a society burdened by colonial structures—its class divisions, suffering, despair, and hope. Yet, Zubeen’s songs of love and longing stirred the hearts of young men and women. After listening to them, every boy and girl could relate deeply, as if Zubeen was expressing their innermost feelings through his songs. That is why he had millions of followers. He was the heartthrob of the youth. During his lifetime, there even existed “Zubeen Fan Clubs”, making him perhaps the first artist in Assam—and one of the very few worldwide—to have such a phenomenon. Though his romantic songs enchanted the youth, his magical voice carried such nectar that it could soothe the hearts of children and the elderly alike. His voice was infused with such divine sweetness that whoever heard it felt calm and serene.

But Zubeen Garg cannot be valued only as a singer. He was equally a lyricist, composer, music director, poet, actor, and film producer-director, as well as a fine instrumentalist. Very few possess such diverse talent. In the sphere of Indian culture, the legendary Kishore Kumar was a similar multifaceted genius—singer, music director, actor, and film producer-director. He too ended his life’s journey at only 58. Another great Indian singer, Mohammad Rafi, passed away at just 56. Assam’s pioneering filmmaker Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwala lived only 48 years. Bishnuprasad Rabha, whom Zubeen followed as his ideal, also had a lifespan of just 60 years. Jayanta Hazarika, who gave Assamese music a new dimension by incorporating Western instruments, died at only 34. In world literature, P. B. Shelley—the shining star who shook the literary world with his immortal lines “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” in Ode to the West Wind—also died at only 30. Coincidentally, Shelley too breathed his last amidst the waves of the sea. Looking at the lives of these figures, one thing becomes clear—life should be measured by deeds, not by age. What Zubeen accomplished in 52 years is incredible, unbelievable, and indescribable—possible only because of God-gifted genius.

Zubeen’s human qualities are truly praiseworthy. Whenever someone was in trouble, or if anyone approached him for help during illness or hardship, Zubeen never turned them away empty-handed. In one way or another, he always extended his support. In short, he was the “Messiah” of the distressed. Beyond being remembered as a singer, Zubeen will also be cherished for generations as a great philanthropist. But did we somewhere fail to preserve such a gem like Zubeen? He was whimsical and never knew defeat. For this, he was often criticized, but he paid little heed and pursued Assamese music with his own flair. Yet, his closest circle should have nurtured him more carefully. Why didn’t his close ones guide him toward certain behavioural corrections? For them, Zubeen was an income source. They should have protected the treasure called Zubeen. Singing was his profession, and though he was ready to sacrifice everything for it, his close ones should have advised him to take more rest. If proper care and vigilance regarding his health had been taken, perhaps we wouldn’t have lost him so early. The discussions surrounding his death demand a proper, impartial investigation.

Who knows—had Zubeen lived a few more years, perhaps another Bob Dylan or another Bhupen Hazarika might have emerged from among us. Nevertheless, we must continue along the upward path that Zubeen showed to Assamese music. We must preserve his creations carefully and open avenues for research for future generations. This responsibility lies not only with the government but also with all conscious citizens.