For playback singer Hansika Pareek, her latest visit to Guwahati was about more than a musical performance. It brought her back to a city she now considers an important part of her musical journey.
“I felt very special being here because some time ago I sang an Assamese song, ‘Dur Ejibon’, and I received so much love and support for it,” Pareek told EastMojo.
“Not only for that song, but even for my Bollywood releases and independent releases, Guwahati is my number one listener,” she added.
Pareek was in Guwahati for The Ultimate Bootcamp, which brought together more than 30 artists for a collaborative musical experience. During the event, she performed ‘Mayabini’ and ‘Ya Ali’ as a tribute to late Assamese singer Zubeen Garg.
For an audience closely connected to Garg’s music, the tribute became an emotional moment, with the crowd joining in as Pareek performed.
But her association with Assam predates the Guwahati performance. It began with ‘Dur Ejibon’, an Assamese song she took up despite not being a native speaker of the language.
Finding a connection through ‘Dur Ejibon’
Pareek said singing in different languages has always interested her, even when it comes with the challenge of learning an unfamiliar language.
“I have always found singing in different languages very interesting. It is challenging, but I get to learn a lot from it,” she said.
The opportunity to sing in Assamese came after Pareek had previously worked with the song’s composer on a Hindi track. She had also expressed her interest in exploring Assamese music.
“I told him myself that I wanted to sing Assamese songs and asked him to let me know if he had something. Then he brought this song to me. The melody and emotion were so beautiful that I immediately said yes,” she recalled.
The response to the song helped deepen that connection, with Pareek saying listeners in Guwahati have supported not only her Assamese music but also her Bollywood and independent releases.
A tribute to Zubeen Garg
That relationship with the city took another turn during The Ultimate Bootcamp, where Pareek paid tribute to Zubeen Garg by performing ‘Mayabini’ and ‘Ya Ali’.
As she sang, the Guwahati audience joined in, making the performance more than just another stage appearance.
For Pareek, the bootcamp was also about collaboration. More than 30 artists came together as part of the initiative, which focused on working together, creating music and experiencing the process of taking that work to a live audience.
The programme culminated in live performances in Guwahati.
Members of Pareek’s band described her as “the future” and as an artist who is “amazing to work with”.
‘Everyone loves Shreya ma’am’
There was another moment that recently left Pareek particularly pleased. Playback singer Shreya Ghoshal mentioned her name during a podcast conversation.
For Pareek, who counts Ghoshal among the artists she admires, the recognition was significant.
“I felt very good. Everyone loves Shreya ma’am. I am a very big fan of hers, and we have all learnt so much from her. So, it was a very good feeling,” she said.
Before wrapping up her interaction in Guwahati, Pareek returned once again to ‘Dur Ejibon’, the song that first brought her closer to Assamese music.
What began with a song has since extended to performances in Guwahati, an audience she calls her ‘number one listener’ and a tribute to one of Assam’s most recognised musical voices.
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