Music, they say, transcends boundaries and in a moving tribute to the late music icon Zubeen Garg, internationally acclaimed concert pianist Nise Meruno from Nagaland has transformed Garg’s legendary anthem “Mayabini” into Western classical notation.
The project, unveiled during TEDx Royal Global University on October 8, under the theme “Original By Nature”, marks a historic moment for Indian music bridging regional emotion with global expression. Nise Meruno, the first Indian to be honoured as a Yamaha Artist by Yamaha Pianos, Japan, described the effort as an act of reverence. “Translating Mayabini into classical notation was both a challenge and a prayer,” he said. “It carries a longing that’s hard to describe, pain and peace together.”
The idea took root when Meruno and curator Sattyakee D’com Bhuyan discussed immortalising Garg’s masterpiece so it could reach pianists across the world. The result is a fully notated version of Mayabini, allowing musicians from Vienna to Seoul to New York to perform the song and carry Zubeen’s spirit beyond borders. During the TEDx evening, which featured voices of authenticity and courage including designer Bambi Kevichüsa, Ranjit Barthakur, and Devajit Saikia, the emotional high point came when Meruno performed the Western symphonic adaptation of Mayabini. As the score appeared on screen, the hall fell silent, many in the audience moved to tears. “Music is the only true connector,” Bhuyan told the audience. “It’s the one language that never divides, it only heals.”
Born in Kohima and trained in Singapore, Meruno has performed across Europe and Asia for presidents, royalty, and music lovers alike. His rendition of Mayabini represents more than a musical achievement, it’s a bridge between Nagaland and Assam, grief and gratitude, and two artists whose souls spoke the same language.
“Zubeen was fearless,” Meruno reflected later. “He lived with fire. Writing Mayabini in Western notation was my way of saying thank you, for his courage, his originality, and for showing us what it means to live through music.”
As the final notes faded at Royal Global University, the moment felt sacred, a gentle promise that while voices may fall silent, music never dies. The Western score of Mayabini now stands as a global gift, carrying Zubeen Garg’s soul into the hands of pianists everywhere.
