Zubeen Garg (Image Source: Social media page of Zubeen Garg)
When news of singer Zubeen Garg’s demise broke in Singapore, 27-year-old Debraj Roy, a software developer from Hailakandi, Assam, knew he wanted to do something more meaningful than just posting online tributes. In three days, he created Zubeenda.online – a dedicated website celebrating the life and work of the late musician.
Debraj created a digital archive for one of Assam’s most beloved voices.
“I have been listening to his songs since childhood,” says Debraj. “His voice has been with me in every phase of my life. They are not just songs – they are memories. I still remember attending his concerts in North Guwahati. That’s when I really felt the magic of his presence.”
For Debraj, the creation of the website was both a tribute and a personal act of gratitude – a way to keep Zubeen’s music alive for those who grew up with it, and for those who have yet to discover it.
Although Debraj wanted to be in Guwahati to bid farewell to the singer, it became difficult due to his professional commitments. However, Debraj did not want to regret thinking that there was no farewell from his side. “My focus as a webpage designer was to make it as user friendly as possible. The design and idea for the page came from comments and questions I read on social media. Some people outside Assam referred to him as a singer who used to sing or Ali And so on. But Zubeen da was much more than the many Hindi songs he sang,” said Debraj.
Debraj Roy Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Explaining how the site came together, Debraj recalls, “Within three days of launch (the website went live on September 23), the website had 20,000 views. At times, the server would even crash due to heavy traffic. I spent almost sleepless nights fixing issues, scaling the UI/UX and the backend, just to make sure it remained online.”
He says the idea stemmed from a simple observation. “When I first read about Zubeen Da on a platform like Wikipedia, the information seemed very simple and technical – not engaging. So I thought, why not create something simple, clean and visually appealing, where his story, achievements and music could be experienced in a way that felt alive and inspiring? That’s how this tribute website was born.”
To make the platform more inclusive, Debraj used AI tools to translate key sections into Assamese – ensuring that fans across the state could access it. “It wasn’t just about translating,” he explains. “I wanted to respect the attention of online readers. So I presented concisely without losing depth, and broke the information into sections like Home, Bio, Journey, Gallery, Legacy and Farewell. This way, readers can easily find what they want – from his early life to the instruments he played and the languages he sang.” till.”
Information and images are collected by the developer from various social media platforms and public sources.
This was not a commercial project for Debraj. “The tribute website is not a place to make profits,” he says. “It was about two passions – coding and Zubeen Da. I love creating meaningful things with code, and I love his music. This project brought the two together.”
The site also has a link to their Spotify discography and access Mayabini – one of Zubeen’s most favorite songs – as its anthem track.
published – October 07, 2025 11:55 am IST