Zubeen Garg is a prominent figure in the Indian music industry. The entire country, including Kolkata and all his devoted music fans, is in shock and mourning his premature departure. A tribute event named “The Unconquerable Zubeen” was held on the evening of October 28 at Wisdom Tree Cafe, organized by the dedicated and esteemed music composer Tunai Debashish Ganguli. Zubeen was honored through speeches, songs, poetry, and shared memories. The event received support from Third Eye and its passionate leader, Atanu Pal.
The primary organizer of the evening, Tunai Debashish Ganguli, remarked, “It was in 2009 that I first encountered Zubeen — through music. From that moment, we forged a friendship. Our dialogue commenced with the song ‘Matir Deho Mati Hoy’ and progressed to ‘Senorita’ and other tracks, marking the inception of our musical camaraderie. Subsequently, at Zubeen’s invitation and with the assistance of my student Tanmoy, I traveled to Assam with my friend Zulfikar Rasel. A new musical adventure began. Unfortunately, Rasel fell ill during our journey, and Zubeen took it upon himself to care for him. For the first time, I recognized the extraordinary divine essence within him. From that point, our friendship flourished through music.
He continued, “Zubeen visited my home, my studio — Studio Impression — where we recorded numerous additional songs. At that time, his father was unwell, in the ICU. He played me songs throughout the night — ‘Mayabini’ and many others… repeatedly inquiring if I liked them even a little… He is no longer with us; I cannot comprehend it… yet he left me sixteen songs he recorded. This time, I will allow them to soar freely like birds. I am uncertain if anyone else possesses so many of his unreleased tracks. Interestingly, nearly all of Zubeen’s unreleased songs were penned by Bangladesh’s esteemed lyricist Julfikar Russel.”
Fellow musicians Anwesha, Madhura, Tanika, guitarist Souvik Dev, and the artists of Samarpon paid a musical homage to Zubeen. Assam-born sound engineer Bob Fukan shared his memories of Zubeen. A documentary showcasing Zubeen’s musical journey was presented.
