It may have been a bright spring afternoon, but for the gathered Assamese community, the air was heavy with grief and remembrance. sydney tribute zubeen garg
They had come together at Rouse Hill Regional Park in Sydney to pay homage to a beloved compatriot, singer Zubeen Garg, who lost his life in a freak scuba diving accident on Sep 19, in Singapore.
For a brief hour or two, the park transformed into a space of shared memory and quiet grief, echoing with songs and stories that celebrated a legend gone too soon.
The ceremony began with incense and lamps being lit in his honour. For many present, the moment felt surreal: Zubeen’s voice had been a companion through their childhoods, their youth, and their cultural journey as migrants far from home. sydney tribute zubeen garg
The highlight of the afternoon came when they sang in one voice Mayabini, a number Zubeen himself had once said he would like played when people remembered him.
As voices joined together in unison, tears welled up, and silence hung thick in the air. A minute’s silence that followed deepened the collective sense of loss.
“He was a legend,” said Bedashree Gogoi, as she recalled her memories of Zubeen’s music. “As ‘80s and ‘90s kids, we didn’t have much of a connect with Bhupen Hazarika. But with Zubeen, it was different. He was bindas, cool. His songs touched us more directly, spoke to our generation.” sydney tribute zubeen garg
More than a musician, 52-year-old Zubeen Garg was a cultural anchor. Though he had made his mark in Bollywood playback singing with hits such as Ya Ali (Gangster, 2006) and Jaane kya chahe man bawara (Pyaar Ke Side Effects, 2006) he chose not to settle in Mumbai. Instead, he returned to Assam, determined to nurture and uplift its music industry. “He could have taken the easier path,” Gogoi added. “But he stayed back to strengthen Assamese music. There will be none like him again.”
Memories of Zubeen’s 2012 visit to Sydney resurfaced at the memorial, when he performed for the Assamese diaspora. For many, that evening remains etched in gold – an unforgettable chance to experience his charisma up close. “He made us feel that even here, far from home, we were part of something larger,” one attendee recalled.
In that sense, for the community in Sydney, the Rouse Hill gathering became more than a farewell. It was a reaffirmation of identity, of cultural roots carried across oceans, of how one man’s songs could stitch together memory and belonging. Zubeen Garg may be gone, but in every Assamese household in Australia, his voice will continue to play – forever young, forever bindas. sydney tribute zubeen garg
