Zubeen Garg, the celebrated singer and multi-instrumentalist who became a household name across India with his iconic Bollywood hit ‘Ya Ali’, has passed away in Singapore at the age of 52.
His death was confirmed by the North East India Festival in Singapore, where Mr. Garg had been scheduled to perform that weekend. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam State in India’s northeast, also publicly acknowledged his passing.
Mr. Sarma informed reporters that the cause of death was drowning. The Singaporean government has not yet provided official comments regarding Mr. Garg’s death.
Zubeen Garg’s music was a vibrant fusion, blending the rich folk traditions of Assam with the energetic sounds of pop and rock. His powerful voice effortlessly delivered both romantic ballads and poignant, mournful tunes. He was a truly prolific artist, performing in dozens of languages and dialects, mastering multiple instruments, acting in films, composing film scores, and consistently packing concert venues.
His breakthrough hit, ‘Ya Ali’, a song filled with themes of love and longing, was prominently featured on the soundtrack of the 2006 Bollywood movie ‘Gangster’.
Mr. Garg lent his voice as a playback singer for ‘Ya Ali’ – a vocalist who records songs for actors to lip-sync onscreen. His exceptional performance earned him the award for best playback singer at the 2006 Global Indian Film Awards.
Born in 1972 in Meghalaya, a northeastern state adjacent to Assam, Zubeen Garg pursued high school and college studies in Assam but ultimately left his science degree to dedicate himself entirely to music.
His debut album, ‘Anamika’, was released in 1992 when he was just 19 years old.
Over a career spanning nearly three decades, Mr. Garg sang thousands of songs in numerous Indian languages. The immense success of ‘Ya Ali’ even took him by surprise.
“I didn’t know it would become so big,” he once remarked on an Indian television show in 2012. “It was good for me, too.”
For millions of his devoted fans, Zubeen Garg’s voice offered comfort and solace. His music championed the rich diversity of a region in India often marked by ethnic tensions, and he remained a remarkably grounded figure despite his widespread celebrity.
He chose to reside primarily in Assam, a state nestled in the Himalayan foothills of India’s far northeast, rather than relocating to Mumbai, the bustling coastal megacity on the other side of India that serves as the heart of Bollywood.
Mr. Garg was also unafraid to engage with political issues. Alongside a collective of other Assamese singers, he publicly challenged a controversial 2019 citizenship law. This law, advocated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, sparked deadly protests and was criticized for appearing to marginalize India’s 200 million minority Muslims, promoting a Hindu-centric state.
His defiance extended to challenging religious orthodoxy. At a concert in 2024, he controversially questioned a revered Hindu deity.
“Krishna is not a God,” he stated. “He was a man.”
As a result of these comments, he was reportedly asked to refrain from performing in Majuli, a significant center for one of Hinduism’s sects in Assam, according to local news reports at the time.
Details regarding Mr. Garg’s surviving family members were not immediately available on Monday.
In 2024, the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, honored him with an honorary degree in recognition of his profound musical contributions.
Following his return to Assam, millions of mourners gathered, creating a procession from the airport to the stadium in Guwahati, the state’s largest city. Across Assam, prayers and heartfelt tributes resonated, and his songs filled the air from loudspeakers in bustling alleys as people united in grief.