This fan is keeping Zubeen alive through 38,000+ song collection
What's the story
Vishal Kalita, a devoted fan of the Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, has embarked on a mission to preserve his musical legacy. Since 1999, Kalita has been collecting cassettes and other music formats featuring Garg's songs in various languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, and Bodo. His collection now boasts over 38,000 songs!
Rare finds
Kalita's collection includes rare albums
Kalita's extensive collection includes some of Garg's most unique works. He has a copy of Garg's songs from the 1998 Hindi horror film Purani Kabar, his debut album Saponor Sur, and the 2002 album Valentine Days where Garg collaborated with the late singer Krishnakumar Kunnath (KK). One of his most prized possessions is the 1999 album Bhoomi which features Garg singing with Salim Merchant.
Nationwide search
His quest took him to many cities
Kalita's quest for Garg's music has taken him beyond Assam. He has traveled to cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and even parts of Karnataka in search of Garg's songs that were produced outside Assam and not readily available locally. "I collected Zubeen da's songs in Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Bodo and several other languages," Kalita told Times of India recently. This is especially noteworthy given that many of Garg's old songs are not available online.
Public access
Collection opened to public last month
Kalita's impressive collection was opened to the public last month, turning his home in Guwahati city into a private museum. The collection also includes hundreds of CDs and rare posters of musicians from around the world. According to the BBC, on September 16, just days before his death, Garg himself had even visited Kalita's house and said the collection reminded him of some of his "long-forgotten" projects.
Legacy preservation
Efforts are on to digitize and stream his music online
Garg, who died on September 19, was a cultural icon in Assam. His discography has been drawing many visitors to Kalita's collection. "Some of these cassettes are too old and can get damaged. I want to bring them back to public memory," Kalita said. The process of making Garg's music accessible through online streaming platforms while ensuring his family gets royalties is currently underway with the help of a network of Garg's fans and friends.