Hariharan (singer)

Overview

Hariharan is an Indian playback singer and ghazal artiste known for his contributions to Hindi and Tamil film music, as well as Indian classical and Sufi-influenced music. Active since the late 1970s, he is regarded as one of the leading exponents of the Indian ghazal tradition in the post-Jagjit Singh generation, and is also recognised as a co-founder of the Indian fusion group Colonial Cousins with Lesle Lewis.

Key facts

Background

Hariharan was born into a Tamil Iyer family with strong Carnatic music roots. His mother, Alamelu Mani, was a recognised Carnatic vocalist and his earliest teacher. He grew up in Mumbai, where he studied at Don Bosco High School, Matunga, and later took a law degree. Alongside formal academics, he trained in Hindustani classical music and the ghazal form under Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan of the Rampur–Sahaswan gharana, an influence audible in his command of phrasing, sargam and meend.

Career

Early years

Hariharan made his Hindi film playback debut with the film Gaman (1978), in which he sang "Ajeeb saneha mujh par guzar gaya yaaro", composed by Jaidev. The song brought him early critical attention and a National Film Award nomination. Despite this beginning, sustained playback work was slow to follow, and through the 1980s he focused largely on ghazal albums and live concerts.

Ghazal albums

Hariharan released a series of ghazal records that helped define a contemporary, classically grounded approach to the form. Works such as Aaina, Hazir, Gulfam and Kaash, including collaborations with poet–lyricists and with Ustad Zakir Hussain on the album Hazir, drew attention for their emphasis on poetry, raga-based composition and restrained ornamentation.

Playback resurgence in the 1990s

His Hindi film career received a strong second wind through composer A. R. Rahman. Beginning with the Tamil film Roja (1992) and the Hindi film Bombay (1995), Hariharan became a regular voice in Rahman's productions. Songs such as "Tu Hi Re" (Bombay), "Jiya Jale" (Dil Se.., 1998), "Chanda Re Chanda Re" (Sapnay/Minsara Kanavu) and "Uyire Uyire" gave him a wide pan-Indian audience. He has also worked extensively with composers including Ilaiyaraaja, Vidyasagar, Harris Jayaraj and Yuvan Shankar Raja in South Indian cinema.

Colonial Cousins

In 1996, Hariharan and composer–producer Lesle Lewis released the self-titled album Colonial Cousins, which fused Indian classical vocal lines with Western pop and acoustic arrangements. The album, with songs such as "Krishna" and "Sa Ni Dha Pa", was a major commercial success in India and won the duo recognition at the MTV Asia Viewers' Choice category at the MTV Video Music Awards. Subsequent albums included The Way We Do It and Aatma.

Tamil film music and concerts

In Tamil cinema, Hariharan has recorded a large catalogue of songs, particularly for melodic ballads and devotional numbers. He performs regularly on the live concert circuit in India and abroad, presenting both ghazal-centred and film-music programmes, often accompanied by leading instrumentalists.

Timeline

• 1955 – Born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• 1977–78 – Wins the Sur Singar competition; debuts in Hindi films with Gaman.
• 1980s – Establishes himself as a ghazal singer through a series of albums.
• 1992 – Begins long collaboration with A. R. Rahman in Roja.
• 1996 – Releases the debut Colonial Cousins album with Lesle Lewis.
• 1998 – Wins the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for "Mere Dushman Mere Bhai" from Border (1997).
• 2004 – Conferred the Padma Shri by the Government of India.
• 2005 – Wins a second National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the Tamil film Nee Varuvai Ena (and subsequent recognitions for songs in Tamil cinema).

Honours and awards

• Padma Shri, Government of India (2004), for contributions to the arts.
• National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer (multiple times, including for Hindi and Tamil work).
• Filmfare Awards and Filmfare Awards South in playback categories.
• Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for playback singing.
• MTV Video Music Award (Viewers' Choice, Asia) with Colonial Cousins (1996).

Significance

Hariharan's career sits at the intersection of three streams of Indian music: classical (both Carnatic and Hindustani), film playback, and contemporary ghazal. His training under Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan and his Carnatic upbringing allow him to move between gamak-rich classical phrasing and softer film melody. Through Colonial Cousins, he was among the early Indian voices in the 1990s "Indipop" wave that engaged seriously with Western production while retaining classical motifs. In the ghazal tradition, he is often grouped with contemporaries such as Pankaj Udhas and Talat Aziz as artistes who carried the form into the 1990s and 2000s.

Personal life

Hariharan is married to Lalitha and has two sons, Akshay and Karthik, who are also active in music. He is based in Mumbai.

Related topics

• Colonial Cousins
• A. R. Rahman
• Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan
• Ghazal
• Playback singing in India
• National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
• Padma Shri

References

• Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs – Padma Awards announcements.
• Directorate of Film Festivals – National Film Awards citations.
• Archival coverage in The Hindu, The Indian Express and Screen on Hindi and Tamil film music of the 1990s and 2000s.