Indian musician Zubeen Garg, who passed away prematurely at the age of 52, has left behind a rich legacy of songs in Assamese, Bengali, and Hindi, some of which remained unreleased.
On Tuesday, one of these unreleased tracks, “Abujh Pakhi”, was released on his 54th birth anniversary as a tribute to the late artist.
The song premiered on lyricist and producer Zulfiqer Russell’s YouTube channel, Zuti. The music and arrangement were composed by Tunai Debasish Ganguly.
Russell said that Zubeen had recorded vocals for seven Bengali songs written by him between 2015 and 2016 in his personal studio in Assam. On Zubeen’s suggestion, Hindi versions were also made, totalling 14 tracks in both languages.
“These songs are a valuable asset. ‘Abujh Pakhi’ is one of them. Its Hindi version will be released soon,” Russell said.
Tunai Debasish Ganguly added that the decision to release Zubeen’s unreleased songs was entrusted to the singer’s wife, Garima Garg.
He visited her in Assam on November 15 to discuss the release, but due to her illness, only one song could be released on his birthday in the form of a lyrical video.
Ganguly said: “This song, dedicated to Zubeen on his birth anniversary, is for Assam and his fans worldwide. He will remain in the hearts of millions.”
Russell added: “We were planning to shoot the video in Meghalaya, but Zubeen passed away before that. Our first release coincides with his birth anniversary.”
The duo plans to gradually release all of Zubeen’s remaining songs and donate the proceeds to a trust in his name for public welfare.
Zubeen Garg died on September 19 during the Northeast Festival in Singapore, after suffering respiratory complications while scuba diving. An investigation into his death is ongoing, and several people have been arrested, though fans are still seeking answers.
