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Hariharan, the son of well-known Carnatic
musicians Smt. Alamelu Mani and Late Shri H.A.S. Mani started
his music training in his parents' footsteps by learning Carnatic
music. He was soon drawn towards the Hindustani style of singing
and switched to learning Hindustani gayaki under the tutelage
of Padmashree Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.
While he pursued his passion for singing on one hand, he completed
his academic studies on the other. Hariharan graduated in
Science and went on to earn a degree in law. Around the same
time, in the eighties, the ghazal started emerging as a popular
singing form and Hariharan was drawn towards it. At that point
in time, a South Indian singing chaste Urdu ghazals was considered
an oddity but Hariharan, who thrives on challenges, took up
the formidable task to learn the nuances of Urdu language
and mastered the art of ghazal singing.
What followed was, post 1983, a spate of successful ghazal
albums from Hariharan that went on to create his base and
integrity as singer. The albums were "Ghazal Ka Mausam"
(solo album), "Aab Shaar-E-Ghazal" (featuring Asha
Bhosale of which one song went on to be featured in the World
Archives of Music), "Reflections" and "Horizons".
Around this point in time, more than a decade ago in 1989,
began Hariharan's association with Magnasound when this record
company released two albums by Hariharan - "Ghazals by
Hariharan" and "Hariharan in Concert".
With each album, Hariharan went on capturing the hearts and
souls of thousands of listeners and fast became a household
name. In a never-before event, Ustad Zakir Hussain agreed
to accompany him in his album "Haazir" released
in 1993.
Though he was beginning to be acclaimed as a singer par excellence,
Hariharan's album "Gulfam" changed his destiny.
This album not only got him Double Platinum in Sales but also
the ChanneL [V] institued Diva Award for the best Album Of
the Year. This unprecedented success of "Gulfam"
which was followed by his album "Paigham" catapulted
him onto a different league of artistes' altogether and Hariharan
was finally being recognized as a singing superstar. He subsequently
released a string of more successful ghazal albums like "Qaraar",
"Jashn", "Visaal", "Athwan Sur"
(which was composed by none other than the legendary Indian
music composer Naushad) and "Halka Nasha".
While his non-film music career was blossoming on one hand,
Hariharan was also gaining popularity as a leading playback
singer of Indian movies on the other. In the recent years
his songs from films like “Hindustani”, “Maachis”,
“Khamoshi”, “Tere Mere Sapney”, “Border”,
(from which the song Mere dishman mere bhai won him the National
Award), “Taal”, “Hey! Ram”, “Hum
Saath Saath Hain”, “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam”,
“Gang”, “Dahek” and “Kya Kehna”
aong with hits from Tamil films like “Asai” (for
which he won the Tamil Nadu State Award, “Roja”,
“Indira”, “Priyam”, “Muthu”,
“Kaadal Desam” and “Minasara Kanavu”
(just to name a few) have won him accolades from not only
Indian listeners but from patrons of playback music from all-over
the world.
Hariharan is also apart of a two-man band titles Colonial
Cousins that has released two successful albums. Their first
album, with Maganasound, won them not only critical acclaim
but also mass appreciation and they bagged the prestigious
Billboard Award for the Best Asian Music Group.
Hariharan has also toured the world with his troupe giving
music connoisseurs all over the globe a taste of his superb
renditions.
With the release of his latest album of contemporary Urdu
Blues titled “Kaash”, Hariharan plans to scale
another step towards his quest to give his fans good music.
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