Zubeen Garg's extraordinary musical journey has inspired countless talents across the country. Among them is Dependra Lahiri, a youth from Barobisha in Alipurduar.
Dependra, 29, began musical training with his mother and completed his master's degree in music from Rabindra Bharati University. He has been honing his classical singing under the tutelage of Parthasarathi Desikan — the son-in-law of Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty — in Calcutta for the past five years.
In 2015, Dependra moved to Calcutta to pursue his musical ambitions. In 2018, he uploaded his first video on his YouTube channel, a cover of Zubeen Garg’s song Mayabini.
The video reached Zubeen, and he personally called Dependra and promised to perform together. The unforgettable evening arrived soon after, when Zubeen invited Dependra on stage at an event in Highland Park, Calcutta, to sing Mayabini together.
Zubeen often accompanied Dependra at various events and recording sessions and shared his performances on social media to encourage him.
“Zubeen Da’s melodies, lyrics, and the emotion in his voice, moved me deeply,” Dependra recalls.
After Zubeen's tragic demise, Dependra visited his residence at Kahilipara, Guwahati, and met his wife, Garima Saikia Garg.
Struck by the loss, he cancelled a series of performances across several northeastern states during Durga Puja.
Dependra’s mission is clear now: to carry forward Zubeen's legacy across the country. He will resume performing on October 22, dedicating every show to his idol. “It is my responsibility to keep Zubeen Garg’s music alive so that his fans never forget him,” he said.
A regular artiste on Doordarshan, Dependra has planned a special 90-minute tribute on November 17 for the “Sakal Sakal” programme, to honour Zubeen's birthday, which is on November 18.
Dependra has performed Zubeen’s songs to great acclaim and love in musical events across Bengal, Assam, and the Northeast, and in various television appearances.
He also plans to release many of Zubeen’s unreleased songs and translate his popular tracks into Bengali.
"Zubeen Garg was an extraordinary personality who inspired countless young stars. It is my duty to carry forward his legacy,” said Dependra.
