Padmashree
Hariharan
Padmashree
Hariharan
About
Hariharan (born 3 April 1955 in Mumbai) is a versatile and established ghazal singer, playback singer in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada & Telugu movies and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Hariharan was born in Bombay (Mumbai) and holds bachelor’s degrees in both science and law. Hariharan, the son of renowned Carnatic vocalists Shrimati Alamelu and the late H.A.S. Mani, inherited his parents’ musical abilities. Hariharan’s first guruji was Alamelu (mentor). He picked up Carnatic music skills from her.
From a young age, he was also exposed to Hindustani music. Hariharan was inspired was inspired by Mehdi Hassan’s Ghazals when he was in his teens and became shagird of Padmavibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, learning the Khayal gayaki, Raag dhari and continuing for many decades absorbing the intricacies of Hindustani Music.
Hariharan was born in Bombay (Mumbai) and holds bachelor’s degrees in both science and law. Hariharan, the son of renowned Carnatic vocalists Shrimati Alamelu and the late H.A.S. Mani, inherited his parents’ musical abilities. Hariharan’s first guruji was Alamelu (mentor). He picked up Carnatic music skills from her.
Hariharan was a Ghazal enthusiast who pursued the genre. He used to practice singing for nine hours every day. When Hariharan decided to become a ghazal singer, he put his heart and soul into learning Urdu. He has honed his Urdu diction to such an extent that his audiences in Lucknow, the language’s heartland, have been blown away. Hariharan won the All-India Sur Singaar competition in 1977 and was immediately signed on by late music director Jaidev to sing for the Hindi film Gaman. Hariharan’s debut song “Ajeeb Saaneha Mujh Par” in that film was such a success that it earned him an Uttar Pradesh state award as well as a Best Singer National Award nomination, and his playback singing career took off.
Rise To Fame
Hariharan began his career by performing on the concert circuit and on television. He sang in a number of TV shows (e.g., Junoon). In addition, he released several successful ghazal albums, writing the majority of the music himself. “Abshaar-e-Ghazal” with Asha Bhonsle was one of Hariharan’s first ghazal albums, and it went gold in sales. Hazir with Ustad Zakir Hussain was another excellent ghazal album. The album “Gulfam,” released in 1993, earned him the Diva Award for Best Album of the Year.
Hariharan made his debut in Tamil cinema with the patriotic song “Thamizha Thamizha” in Maniratnam’s film Roja in 1992. In the 1995 Tamil Nadu State Government Film Awards, he was named best male playback singer for his soulful rendition of the song konja naal….from the film Aasai. “Uyire Uyire” also known as “TU Hi Re” in Hindi, made Hariharan a household name and is still a fan favourite.
Hariharan and Leslie Lewis formed the band Colonial Cousins in 1996. They were the only Asian band to appear on MTV Unplugged. The Way We do It, Aatma, and Colonial Couisins Unplugged are among their other albums. His outstanding contribution to Indian religious music, such as Hanuman Chalisa and thousands of other devotional songs, allowed him to reach the farthest corners establish of the himself globe and as India’s velvet voice, as he is now known.
Music Career
Contributions to Indian Classical Music
Hariharan, a veteran singer for 44 years, has sung 5000+ songs in 10 languages, collaborated with A.R. Rahman on 50 tracks, and released “Afsaane” with his sons in 2018.
Collaborations
Hariharan and Lesle Lewis composed music for Tamil films “Modhivilaiyadu” and “Chikku Bukku,” collaborated with the Pakistani band Strings on “Bolo Bolo,” worked with Daler Mehndi on the album “Destiny,” and partnered with Zakir Hussain on the ghazal album “Hazir.”
Special Performances
Hariharan toured the United States in 2002, 2004, and 2007 for ghazal concerts, performed for a former prime minister in Kumaragam and Goa in 2001 and 2002, sang the invocation song at Parliament in 2000, inaugurated the Commonwealth Games with his composition “Swaghatham Song,” and performed at the Qutub Festival, Sports Village, and Rashtriya Bhawan for President Smt. Pratibhatai Patil in 2010.
International Collaborations
Hariharan, a 44-year professional singer, with 5000+ songs in 10 languages, known for his experimentation. He’s completed 350+ playback projects, collaborated on 50 tracks with A.R. Rahman, and released “Afsaane” in 2018 with his sons.
Achievement
Hariharan’s significant contribution to Indian devotional music includes the iconic Hanuman Chalisa, the most viewed YouTube video from India (2.4 billion views) and the most requested song on Amazon Alexa (4 voice searches per minute). He is a pioneer in Indian fusion music, with Colonial Cousins being the first Indian group on MTV Unplugged. Their debut album blended Indian and Western sounds, featuring artists like Grammy winner Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and session musicians from the Western music world. Hariharan also coined the term “Urdu Blues” with his successful album “Kaash.”
Hariharan has judged music reality shows like “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” and “GMG-Great Music Gurukul.” He has a reality program named after him, “Hariyduan Naan,” in the Tamil TV industry. Known for his distinct singing style blending spirituality, romance, peace, and happiness, he has made significant contributions to Ghazals, Film Songs, Fusion Music, and Hindi Pop. At 67, he continues to promote Indian classical music and other contemporary forms. He’s a strong advocate of charity, organizing concerts for various causes. Hariharan is also a World Peace Ambassador for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and has a significant presence on digital platforms with millions of monthly active users.
