Zubeen Garg, singer of ‘Ya Ali,’ dies in scuba diving incident
Popular Indian musician Zubeen Garg has died at 52 after a scuba diving accident in Singapore.
The singer, known for his Bollywood hits — including the 2006 song “Ya Ali” — had recently arrived in the island country and was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival, according to a statement issued by festival organizers.
The statement confirmed that Garg died Friday at Singapore General Hospital.
“This is a monumental loss, and words cannot express the depth of our grief,” the organizers wrote in a social media post.
They announced that the festival, a cultural exchange event slated to run Friday through Sunday, had been canceled.
Singapore police rescued Garg from the ocean after he sustained injuries while scuba diving, according to the Times of India. They rushed him to the hospital, where he died in the intensive care unit. Himanta Biswa Sarma, chief minister of Garg’s home state of Assam, said in a news conference Sunday that his cause of death was drowning.
Sarma announced that Garg’s funeral and services are set for Tuesday.
For many in India, particularly in Assam, Garg was a cultural icon.
Assam Cabinet Minister Ashok Singhal wrote in an X post that he was “deeply saddened” by the singer’s death.
“Assam has lost not just a voice, but a heartbeat,” Singhal wrote. “Zubeen da was more than a singer, he was the pride of Assam and the nation, whose songs carried our culture, our emotions, and our spirit to every corner of the world.”
Singhal also announced Sunday that the Assam Cabinet has decided to build a memorial in Kamarkuchi, the village where Garg will be cremated. He added that his ashes will be taken to the city of Jorhat, where another memorial will also be constructed.
Throughout a career spanning more than three decades, Garg sang in dozens of languages and dialects, becoming a powerhouse in the Assamese, Bengali and Hindi-language film and music industries.
His biggest Bollywood breakthrough came in 2006 with the release of “Ya Ali,” which was featured in the movie “Gangster.” He won best playback singer that year in the Global Indian Film Awards.
Rahul Gandhi, a member of the Indian National Congress, was also among the fans and public figures who paid tribute to Garg.
“His voice defined a generation, and his talent was truly unmatched. He overcame personal tragedies to reshape the landscape of Assamese music. His perseverance and courage have left an enduring mark,” Gandhi wrote on X. “He will live on in our hearts and minds forever.”
