Assamese Singers: 10 Voices, Bhupen to Papon

Assamese singers who shaped the state's music, from Bhupen Hazarika and Zubeen Garg to Papon, Joi Barua, Kalpana Patowary and new indie acts.

Key facts

Highest honour: Bhupen Hazarika (1926-2011) received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1992 and was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019 (Wikipedia).
Most prolific: Zubeen Garg recorded over 40,000 songs in a 33-year career; Assam declared state mourning after his death in Singapore on 19 September 2025 (Wikipedia).
Fusion pioneer: Jayanta Hazarika was the first Assamese composer to fuse rock and roll, jazz and Western classical music with traditional Assamese melodies (Wikipedia).
Folk fusion band: Papon, son of Assamese singer Khagen Mahanta, formed the electronic folk-fusion band Papon and The East India Company in 2007 (Wikipedia).
Local streaming: Baahi, the first Assamese music streaming platform, had over 400,000 app users and listed more than 30,000 songs in 2025 (The Hindu).

The most important Assamese singers span three generations. Bhupen Hazarika, the Bharat Ratna-winning bard of the Brahmaputra, and his brother Jayanta Hazarika, who first brought rock and roll and jazz into Assamese melody, are the first. Zubeen Garg, whose 1992 album Anamika remade Assamese pop and who died in September 2025, leads the second, alongside Khagen Mahanta's son Papon, Joi Barua and Kalpana Patowary. The third is a newer independent wave, including the Guwahati band Malkauns, that streams on Assam's own app, Baahi. This guide is built from Wikipedia, The Hindu and NewsMill, and every fact is sourced.

More facts

Bhupen Hazarika (1926-2011) received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1992 and was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019 (Wikipedia).
Zubeen Garg recorded over 40,000 songs in a 33-year career; Assam declared state mourning after his death in Singapore on 19 September 2025 (Wikipedia).
Jayanta Hazarika was the first Assamese composer to fuse rock and roll, jazz and Western classical music with traditional Assamese melodies (Wikipedia).
Papon, son of Assamese singer Khagen Mahanta, formed the electronic folk-fusion band Papon and The East India Company in 2007 (Wikipedia).
Baahi, the first Assamese music streaming platform, had over 400,000 app users and listed more than 30,000 songs in 2025 (The Hindu).

The founders

Bhupen Hazarika

Bhupen Hazarika was born on 8 September 1926 in Sadiya, a town on the Brahmaputra, and died on 5 November 2011. Wikipedia describes him as a singer, songwriter, writer, filmmaker and politician. His honours include the National Film Award for Best Music Direction (1975), the Padma Shri (1977), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987), the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1992) and the Padma Bhushan (2001). He was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2012 and the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 2019. His song Bistirno Parore drew on the tune, imagery and theme of Paul Robeson's Ol' Man River. When he died, his body lay in state at Judges Field in Guwahati before cremation near the Brahmaputra on land given by Gauhati University.

Jayanta Hazarika

Bhupen's younger brother Jayanta Hazarika (20 September 1943 to 15 October 1977) wrote some lyrics and composed music for several films. Wikipedia calls him the first Assamese composer to fuse Western forms such as rock and roll, jazz and Western classical music with traditional Assamese melodies, creating a new sound. That makes him a direct ancestor of every Assamese rock band that followed.

Khagen Mahanta

Khagen Mahanta remains one of the most-played artists on Baahi, the Assamese streaming app, according to The Hindu. He is also the father of Papon, which links the old folk-pop tradition to the indie generation.

The modern icons

Zubeen Garg

Zubeen Garg was born on 18 November 1972 and sang mainly in Assamese, Bengali and Hindi, plus about 40 other languages and dialects, according to Wikipedia. He made his debut in 1992 with the Assamese solo album Anamika. Wikipedia says that album made him a trendsetter in Assam for blending Western and regional influences while also reviving traditional Assamese music. National fame came with Ya Ali, composed by Pritam for the 2006 film Gangster, which won him the Global Indian Film Awards prize for best playback singer. Over a 33-year career he recorded more than 40,000 songs.

Garg died in Singapore on 19 September 2025, aged 52, while swimming in the sea off Saint John's Island. His death drew tributes across India. The Government of Assam declared three days of state mourning, later extended to 23 September to cover his funeral and cremation. He was still the most-heard artist on Baahi when The Hindu profiled the app in 2025.

Papon

Papon, born Angaraag Mahanta, is the son of Khagen Mahanta and Archana Mahanta. He released his first album, Junaki Raati, in 2004. In 2007 he formed the electronic folk-fusion band Papon and The East India Company, which he still fronts. He also appeared on the Indian edition of Coke Studio @ MTV. His Hindi film work includes Jiyein Kyun from Dum Maro Dum (2011), his first big hit, Moh Moh Ke Dhage from Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) and Bulleya from Sultan (2016).

Joi Barua

Joi Barua was born in Digboi. He started out singing advertising jingles, then sang for Hindi, Assamese and Telugu films, and fronts his own band. His Hindi playback credits include Dev.D, Udaan and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. On May 4, 2022, he and his band released an anthem at the Rezang La War Memorial for the 114 soldiers who died there in the 1962 war, an event Wikipedia describes as making history.

Kalpana Patowary

Kalpana Patowary is a folk and playback singer from Assam who has sung in more than 32 languages, including Assamese, Bhojpuri, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali and English. Her work in Bhojpuri music earned her the nickname "Bhojpuri Queen," according to Wikipedia.

Deeplina Deka, Prabin Borah and Dwipen Baruah

The Hindu named Deeplina Deka, Prabin Borah and Dwipen Baruah among the most-heard artists on Baahi in 2025. They sit alongside Zubeen Garg, Papon, Bhupen Hazarika and Khagen Mahanta, a sign of how the local audience's taste differs from national charts.

The independent wave

Malkauns

Malkauns is a Guwahati indie rock and pop band made up of Anish Hussain (vocals), Rahul Das (lead guitar), Hritik Baishya (bass) and Nilarnab Sharma (drums). In July 2025 they released the Assamese rock-rap single Xoloni Xomoi with rapper MINIMI, NewsMill reported. The song, written by Tanwita Bharadwaj, is about turmoil and unrest in today's world and calls for unity. It was their third release, after Osthir Morom and Porisoy. For more bands from the region, see our guide to Northeast India bands and artists.

Baahi, the platform behind the new scene

Baahi was founded by Mrinmoy Kumar of Tezpur, who told The Hindu that the idea came from missing Assamese songs while he studied engineering in Odisha. Work started at the end of 2020. In 2025 the app had over 400,000 users and more than 200,000 unique website visitors a month. It listed over 30,000 songs from more than 10,000 artists in Assamese, Bodo, Mising, Karbi, Tiwa, Koch and Rajbonshi. The founders licensed classics, including Bhupen Hazarika's, from labels such as Saregama/HMV, and digitised old film songs that had never been released digitally. Kumar said the platform wants to let independent artists, who "go unnoticed for lack of a platform," upload their own music. Festivals across the region also matter; our Ziro Festival 2026 guide covers one of the best known.

Where to start listening

Start with Bhupen Hazarika's Bistirno Parore and Zubeen Garg's Anamika-era songs for the foundations. Papon's Junaki Raati and his East India Company recordings show the folk-fusion turn. Joi Barua's band work covers rock. For the newest independent sound, Malkauns' Xoloni Xomoi and the new-artist sections on Baahi are a good starting point.

FAQ

Who is the most famous Assamese singer?

Bhupen Hazarika is the most decorated. He won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1992 and was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019. Zubeen Garg, who recorded over 40,000 songs, was the most popular modern star.

When did Zubeen Garg die?

Zubeen Garg died in Singapore on 19 September 2025, aged 52. The Government of Assam declared state mourning from 20 to 23 September.

Is Papon the son of Khagen Mahanta?

Yes. Papon, born Angaraag Mahanta, is the son of Assamese singers Khagen Mahanta and Archana Mahanta, according to Wikipedia.

Where can I stream Assamese songs?

Besides the major platforms, Baahi is a dedicated Assamese streaming app. The Hindu reported it had over 400,000 users and 30,000 songs in Assamese, Bodo, Mising and other languages in 2025.

Which Assamese singers sang in Bollywood?

Zubeen Garg (Ya Ali), Papon (Jiyein Kyun, Moh Moh Ke Dhage, Bulleya), Joi Barua (Dev.D, Udaan, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara) and Kalpana Patowary all have Hindi film credits.