Guwahati, 22 Sept — Assam is mourning the loss of its beloved singer and composer Zubeen Garg, as efforts are underway to digitally preserve his voice and protect it from tampering or unauthorized use.
Garg, 52, died while swimming in Singapore on Friday. His mortal remains reached Guwahati on Sunday, and his last rites will be performed with state honours on the city outskirts on Tuesday.
In the wake of his death, longtime associate and singer-composer Manas Robin said measures are being taken to safeguard Garg’s voice against misuse, particularly in the era of AI-generated music. “With technology making massive strides, especially with AI-enabled software, it is very possible that Zubeen’s voice samples taken from the internet could be used by other singers or performers as their own in the future,” Robin said while paying tribute at Sarusajai Stadium on Monday, where lakhs gathered to honor the singer.
Robin explained that a “digital signature” will be created for Garg’s vocals, allowing the origin of his voice to be traced whenever it is played. “If a person’s face is superimposed on another body digitally, it can be detected. Similarly, systems are being developed where the origin of a voice can be traced to the digitally preserved version of the original singer,” he noted.
The musician, also known for his folk songs and Bihu numbers, said Garg’s songs had already been archived, with the singer inaugurating one such archive days before his death. “Digital preservation of Zubeen’s work is already underway through his YouTube channel and other internet platforms. We also want to put a ‘digital signature’ to his voice so that no one can pass it off as their own in today’s world of AI-generated audios and videos,” Robin added.
Robin further noted that this initiative will ensure that no one can tamper with Garg’s recordings. He said the singer’s death has sparked renewed global interest in his music. “This outpouring of spontaneous grief, this gathering of lakhs of people to pay their respects, has made the world sit up and take note of what Zubeen Garg meant for Assam and why,” he said.
He praised Garg’s unique vocal ability, saying the singer’s comfort with high-octave singing set him apart. “Singers sing in high octave, but the pressure it puts on their voice can be detected. But with Zubeen, it came naturally,” Robin observed.
