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.

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 by Mehdi Hassan's ghazals when he was in his teens and became shagird of Padma Vibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, learning the Khayal gayaki, Raagdharis, and continuing for many decades absorbing the intricacies of Hindustani music.
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.
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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 a 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 Mani Ratnam'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 Konjanaal... 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 Cousins 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 of the globe and establish himself as India’s "Velvet Voice," as he is now known.

MUSIC CAREER

Hariharan has been singing for over 44 years, with more than 5,000 songs in 10 languages and 350+ playback projects. Known for his soulful versatility, he has collaborated on 50+ tracks with Oscar and Grammy winner A. R. Rahman and released his first single Afsaane in 2018 with his sons Akshay and Karan.

Collaborations

Mr. Hariharan and Mr. Lesle Lewis composed music for Tamil films “Modhi Vilaiyadu” & "Chikku Bukku."
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Worked with the Pakistani band Strings on a song called "Bolo Bolo."
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Experimented with Punjabi artist Daler Mehndi on the album Destiny.
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Hariharan also collaborated with Zakir Hussain on his ghazal album Hazir.

Special Performances

Hariharan has toured the U.S. multiple times (2002, 2004, 2007), performing ghazal concerts across 15+ cities.

He has given exclusive concerts for dignitaries, including the former Prime Minister (2001, 2002). In 2000, he sang the invocation at Parliament and later inaugurated the Commonwealth Games with his Swagatham Song.

He has also performed at the Qutub Festival, the sports village, and in 2010 at Rashtriya Bhavan for President Pratibha Patil.

International Collaborations

Hariharan has been singing professionally for 44 years and has sung over 5000 songs in 10 different languages. He is always willing to experiment and explore new styles to create soulful music.
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Since 1978, he has completed over 350 projects as a playback singer.
Over 50 tracks produced with the Oscar & Grammy winner A. R. Rahman.
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Hariharan released his first single song, "Afsaané," in July 2018 with his sons Akshay and Karan Hariharan.

Contributions to Indian Classical Music

Hariharan is a well-known Indian ghazal singer and composer who has released over thirty albums. He recorded several popular ghazal albums in his early career, penning the majority of the music himself.
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His most recent ghazal album, "Lahore Ke Rang, Hari Ke Sang," with renowned Pakistani ghazal composers,
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received rave reviews and critical acclaim both inside and outside of India.

ACHIEVEMENTS

He is credited with one of the most significant contributions to Indian devotional music, with the iconic Hanuman Chalisa becoming the most viewed Indian video on YouTube (2.4B+ views) and the most requested song on Amazon Alexa (4 searches per minute). Hariharan is regarded as a pioneer of Indian fusion music. With Colonial Cousins, he was the first Indian artist to appear on MTV Unplugged.

Their debut album opened doors for Indian sounds in western-style compositions, blending Hindustani and Carnatic ragas with pop.

He coined the term “Urdu Blues” with his landmark album Kaash. As a respected figure in the industry, he has judged many music reality shows including Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Great Music Gurukul, and even had a Tamil show named after him (Hariyudan Naan). Hariharan’s music bridges spirituality, romance, peace, and joy, leaving an enduring mark across ghazals, film songs, fusion, and Hindi pop.

At 67, he continues to perform not only in classical concerts but also in modern genres like R&B, hip-hop, rap, and rock. Recognised as a World Peace Ambassador, he has performed numerous charity concerts supporting cancer patients, challenged children, and orphanages.

He also mentors students to carry forward his musical style. Even today, Hariharan remains a beloved icon, deeply admired across India and globally, with millions of digital fans engaging with his timeless voice.

AWARDS

BEST PLAYBACK (MALE)
Screen Videocon Awards
1995
BEST MALE PLAYBACK SINGER
Koncha Naal – Aasai
Telugu Cinema Awards
1995
BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Gulfam
Diva Awards
1993
MTV INDIAN VIEWER’S CHOICE
Colonial Cousins
MTV Awards, New York
1996
MTV ASIA VIEWER’S CHOICE AWARD
Colonial Cousins
MTV Asia
1996
US BILLBOARD VIEWER’S AWARD
Colonial Cousins
Billboard, USA
1996
BEST ALBUM | BEST POP SONG | BEST PRODUCTION VALUES | VIEWER’S CHOICE
Colonial Cousins
[V] Channel Music Awards
1996
NATIONAL FILM AWARD – BEST MALE PLAYBACK SINGER
Mere Dushman – Border
Government of India
1998
BEST MALE PLAYBACK SINGER
Hima Semallo Yallo – Annayya
Nandi Awards
1999
BEST MALE POP ARTISTE
Screen Videocon Awards
2000
BEST ALBUM
Screen Videocon Awards
2000
SWARNAKURALON TITLE
Sri Lanka
2001
RAGA CHAKRAVARTHY
Toronto
2001