Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Singer-composer Salim Merchant recently toured the residence and studio of the late Assamese legend Zubeen Garg. Garima Garg greeted the visitor with traditional honors during his trip to Assam. The visit hit hard. Merchant described the time spent at the studio as a special, emotional musical moment.
Merchant honored the icon on stage during the Bhoomi 2026 event. He performed the song Dhumuhar Gaan, a track tied to Garg's musical roots. Anurag Saikia composed the piece with lyrics by Rahul Gautam Sarma. The performance included vocals from Shashwati Phukan, Padma Shri Pokhila Lekthepi, Anurag Saikia, and Rahul Gautam Sarma.
Merchant took to social media to share his gratitude after the trip. He thanked Garima Garg, Rahul Gautam Sharma, Shyamantak Gautam, and Dikshu Sarma for the warm welcome. He made his feelings clear to his followers. "I am so emotional and overwhelmed," Merchant wrote.
The composer reaffirmed his commitment to the region. He stated, "I love Zubeen, I love Assam and I will always support Assamese music." The visit serves as a nod to Garg's reach and the bond he built with artists across India.
Updated at 18th September 2026 at 9:48am
Beyond the tributes from national artists, the effort to preserve Garg's catalog is moving to the grassroots level. Chinmoy Saikia, a music enthusiast based in the Nagaon district village of Kuwaritol, is building a digital vault for the singer's rarest work. Saikia has spent years hunting down obscure audio and video cassettes to save them from rot and decay.
His personal collection now holds more than 200 tracks that vanished from the mainstream, missing from YouTube and major streaming platforms. By dragging this physical history into the digital space, Saikia aims to stop rare recordings from being lost forever as the original tapes deteriorate.
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