Zubeen Garg

Zubeen Garg (born Zubeen Borthakur;  18 November 1972 – 19 September 2025) was an Indian musician who primarily worked and sang in the Assamese, Bengali, and Hindi-language film and music industries.He had also sung in 40 other languages and dialects, including Bishnupriya Manipuri, Adi, Boro, Dimasa, English, Goalpariya, Kannada, Karbi, Malayalam, Marathi, Mising, Nepali, Bhojpuri, Odia, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Tiwa.

Garg was a multi-instrumentalist and played 12 instruments including anandalahari, dhol, dotara, drums, guitar, harmonica, harmonium, mandolin, keyboard, tabla, and various percussion instruments. He was regarded as one of the most influential musicians in Assam, and was also the highest-paid singer in Assam. Over a career spanning 33 years, he recorded more than 38,000 songs.

Early life and family :-
Garg was born on 18 November 1972, into an Assamese Brahmin family in Tura, Meghalaya, to Mohini Mohon Borthakur and Ily Borthakur. Originally named Zubeen Borthakur, his first name was chosen in homage to Zubin Mehta. While his given name came from a world stage, his surname was drawn from heritage. Instead of continuing with his parental surname Borthakur, he chose "Garg", the title of his Brahmin gotra. This decision gave him a distinctive identity-one that balanced global inspiration with Assamese tradition.

Garg's family had ancestral roots in Tamulichiga (Jhanji), Assam, and he was primarily brought up in Jorhat, Assam. His father, Mohini Mohon Borthakur, was a Magistrate, and is also known as a lyricist and poet under the pen name Kapil Thakur. As a former Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer, his father was frequently transferred, which meant that he spent parts of his childhood moving with the family. His mother, Ily Borthakur, was a singer. His sister Jonkie Borthakur, who was a singer and actress, died in a car accident in February 2002 in Sonitpur district while travelling to perform a stage show along with her co-artists. He had released the album Xixhu in 2002, in memory of Jonkie Borthakur.

Education
Garg passed his matriculation exam in Tamulpur Higher Secondary School. He lived in Bongal Pukhuri (a suburb 3km south of Jorhat Town) during his school years, completing his higher secondary education in science at J.B. College and Karimganj College between 1990 and 1992. He went to pursue Bachelor of Science degree in B. Borooah College, but dropped out to concentrate on his singing career.

Introduction to music:

Garg started to sing from the age of three. His first guru was his mother from whom he learnt to sing and he learnt playing the tabla from Pandit Robin Banerjee for 11 years. Guru Ramani Rai introduced him to Assamese folk music.Garg had been composing songs since his school days.

Personal life:-

Zubeen with his wife Garima.
Garg married Garima Saikia, a fashion designer from Golaghat, Assam, on 4 February 2002. He considered himself irreligious and said that he did not have any caste or religion.

Death:-

On 19 September 2025, Garg died in Singapore, at the age of 52. He died while swimming in the sea without a life jacket.He was administered CPR and rushed to Singapore General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead in the intensive care unit around 2:30 pm IST.

On 22 September 2025, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that Garg would be cremated with full state honours on 23 September at Kamarkuchi NC village near Guwahati.The decision followed both cabinet discussions and the family’s preference against cremation in Jorhat, where public groups had demanded the last rites. His wife Garima Saikia Garg and sister Pamle Borthakur cited the frail health of his 85‑year‑old father and the difficulties of performing rituals away from Guwahati. As a compromise, the government announced that Garg’s ashes would be immersed in Jorhat and that memorials would be constructed both in Jorhat and at the Guwahati cremation site.

The cremation ground spans 3.3 acres of government allotted land, volunteered by local villagers, and can accommodate up to 5,000 mourners. Garg’s body lay in state at the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex, Guwahati, until the morning of 23 September for the public to pay tributes.State mourning was extended to cover 23 September, the day of his funeral.

On 23 September, Garg was cremated with state honours and a 21 gun salute.