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Hariharan (born 3 April 1955) is an
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
playback,
bhajan Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...
and
ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
singer who predominantly sings in
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...
,
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
and
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
languages. He has also sung over 15,000 notable songs in 10 regional languages including
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
,
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
,
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...
, Sinhala and
Bhojpuri Bhojpuri (;Bhojpuri entry, Oxford Dictionaries
, Oxford U ...
. He is an established ghazal singer and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. In 2004, he was honoured with the
Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
by the
Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
and is a two-time
National Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate ...
winner. Hariharan, associating with Lesle Lewis, formed
Colonial Cousins Colonial Cousins is an Indian duo, formed by singer Hariharan and singer-composer Lesle Lewis, who also have successful solo careers. Their eponymous first album hit platinum in sales in India alone and consistently headed the Indian music ch ...
, a two-member band. They have cut many private music albums and also scored music for few feature films in Tamil and Hindi. On 9 October 2021 at 13:47, Hariharan and late
Gulshan Kumar Gulshan Kumar Dua (5 May 1951 12 August 1997), was an Indian businessman, film and music producer who was the founder of the Super Cassettes Industries Limited (T-Series) music label in the Bollywood industry. He founded T-Series in the 1980s ...
's
Hanuman Chalisa The ''Hanuman Chalisa'' (; '' Forty chaupais on Hanuman'') is a Hindu devotional hymn (''stotra'') in praise of Hanuman.Rambhadradas 1984pp. 1–8./ref> It was authored by Tulsidas in the Awadhi language, and is his best known text apart from the ...
recorded under the label of T-Series crossed the 2-billion views mark on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
, making it the first devotional song in the world to do so.


Personal life and education

Hariharan was born to classical musicians H A S Mani and Alamelu Mani. HAS Mani - he was affectionately called Chellamani - groomed many Carnatic singers in Mumbai where he died in his early 40s due to cardiac arrest in 1963. His mother Alamelu Mani (b 1935) has had a long career as Carnatic vocalist and a distinguished teacher, and was honoured with the title Sangeeta Pracharya in 2019. Hariharan did his schooling at
Don Bosco High School, Matunga Don Bosco High School is a Roman Catholic all-male school in Matunga, Mumbai, India. It has a subsidiary which was built in 1970 in Borivali. History In 1937, the general council of Salesians of Don Bosco approved a plan to buy 60,000 square ...
and graduated from
SIES College of Arts, Science & Commerce SIES College of Arts, Science, and Commerce is a Mumbai-based college located in Sion. Established by the South Indian Education Society, the college schools students from class 11 and 12 right up to advanced degrees and has research facilitie ...
,
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. Thereafter he pursued his studies at the
St. Xavier's College, Mumbai St. Xavier's College is a private, Catholic, autonomous higher education institution run by the Bombay Province of the Society of Jesus in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was founded by the Jesuits on January 2, 1869. The college is affil ...
.


Career


Film career

At the start of his career, Hariharan did the concert circuit and also performed on TV. He sang for a number of TV serials (e.g., ''Junoon''). In 1977, he won the top prize in the "All India Sur Singaar Competition" and was promptly signed on by the late music director
Jaidev Jaidev (3 August 1918 – 6 January 1987; born Jaidev Verma) was a music composer in Hindi films, most known for his work in films: '' Hum Dono'' (1961), ''Reshma Aur Shera'' (1971), ''Prem Parbat'' (1973), ''Gharaonda'' (1977) and ''Gaman'' ...
to sing for his new Hindi film ''
Gaman Gaman ( hi, गमन, English:Departure) is a Hindi film released in 1978, starring Farooq Sheikh and Smita Patil in the lead roles and introducing Nana Patekar in a supporting role. It is the directorial debut of Muzaffar Ali, who went on to ...
'' (1978). His debut song "Ajeeb Sa neha Mujh Par Guzar gaya yaaron" in that movie became such a hit that it won him an Uttar Pradesh State Film Award, as well as a
National Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate ...
nomination. Hariharan entered the world of
Tamil films Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...
in 1992 introduced by debutant music director
A.R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
with the patriotic song "Thamizha Thamizha" in
Maniratnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six Nat ...
's film ''
Roja Roja may refer to: * ''Roja'' (film), a 1992 Tamil-language film by director Mani Ratnam * ''Roja'' (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the film * Roja Selvamani Roja Selvamani (born Sri Latha Reddy; 17 November 1972), also known as R. K. ...
''. He was judged best male playback singer in the 1995
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
State Government Film Awards for his soulful rendition of the song "
Uyire Uyire ''Uyire Uyire'' () is a 2016 Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by A. Rajasekhar and produced by veteran actress Jaya Prada and former politician Amar Singh. The film, a remake of Vikram Kumar's 2012 Telugu film ''Ishq'', stars Jaya Pra ...
" also by music director A.R Rahman in Maniratnam's ''
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
'' (Hariharan sang the song with
K.S. Chithra Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra (born 27 July 1963), always credited as K. S. Chithra or Chithra, is an Indian playback singer and Carnatic musician. In a career spanning over four decades, she has recorded over 25,000 songs in various In ...
). Hariharan has been one of the most trusted singers of Rahman and has sung many songs for him in long list of movies that includes '' Muthu'', ''
Minsara Kanavu ''Minsara Kanavu'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic drama film that was co-written and directed by Rajiv Menon. The film stars Arvind Swamy, Prabhu Deva, and Kajol in her Tamil debut, and revolves around Priya (Kajol), a con ...
'', ''
Jeans Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...
'', ''
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
'', ''
Mudhalvan ''Mudhalvan'' () is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language political action thriller film produced by R. Madhesh and S. Shankar, written and directed by Shankar. The film stars Arjun, Manisha Koirala and Raghuvaran while Vadivelu and Manivannan appear in ...
'', '' Taal'', '' Rangeela'', ''
Indira __NOTOC__ Indira may refer to: People * Indira (name) Films and books * ''Indira'', an 1873 novella by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee * Indira (film), ''Indira'' (film), directed by Suhasini Manirathnam * Indira (1989 film), ''Indira'' (1989 film), a ...
'', ''
Iruvar ''Iruvar'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language epic political drama film co-written, produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film, inspired by the lives of M. Karunanidhi, M. G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa is set against the backdrop of ...
'', '' Anbe Aaruyire'', ''
Kangalal Kaithu Sei ''Kangalal Kaidhu Sei'' () is a 2004 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language Musical film, musical romantic thriller film written by Sujatha (writer), Sujatha and directed by Bharathiraja. It stars Vaseegaran in the protagonist's role and marks Pri ...
,
Dasavathaaram ''Dasavathaaram'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language science fiction action film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It stars Kamal Haasan, who also wrote the script, in ten distinct roles. Asin appears in two roles and Mallika Sherawat plays a subs ...
'', ''
Sivaji Sivaji is an Indian actor who appears in Telugu films. He won Nandi Award for Best Male Dubbing Artist for the movie '' Dil'' (voice for Nitin). Career Sivaji is from Narsarsopet in Guntur district. Sivaji started his stint as an editor in G ...
'', ''
Alaipayuthey ''Alai Payuthey'' ( ) is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written, co-produced and directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Madhavan (in his Tamil debut) and Shalini. The film explores the tensions of married life between two young pe ...
'', ''
Kannathil Muthamittal ''Kannathil Muthamittal'' (also released internationally under the translated title ''A Peck on the Cheek'') is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language musical war film produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. It was based on a short story, "Amuthavum Avanum" ...
'', ''
Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
'', ''
Enthiran ''Enthiran'' () is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language science fiction action film written and directed by S. Shankar. It is the first instalment in the ''Enthiran'' franchise. The film stars Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with Danny De ...
'' , '' No Means No'' etc. In 1998, Hariharan won the national award for the best playback singer for the soulful rendition of the song "Mere Dushman Mere Bhai" from the Hindi movie ''Border'', composed by
Anu Malik Anwar Sardar "Anu" Malik (born 2 November 1960) is an Indian music composer, singer, music arranger and score composer. He is an Indian National Award and Filmfare Award winning musician, who primarily composes music for the Hindi film indus ...
. Hariharan got another National Award for the
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...
song "Jiv Rangla" from ''
Jogwa ''Jogwa - The Awakening'' is a 2009 Marathi-language film directed by Rajiv Patil and produced under iDream Productions & Screenplay by Sanjay Krishnaji Patil. It stars Upendra Limaye and Mukta Barve while Priya Berde, Vinay Apte, Sharvani P ...
'', set to tune by
Ajay Atul Ajay-Atul is an Indian music composer duo comprising brothers Ajay and Atul Gogavale. They won the Best Music Direction award at the 56th National Film Awards from the Government of India for their music in the Marathi film ''Jogwa'' in 2008. ...
in the year 2009. He has sung more than 500 Tamil songs and nearly 200 Hindi songs. He has also sung hundreds of songs in
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
,
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
,
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
,
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...
,
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
and
Odia Odia, also spelled Oriya or Odiya, may refer to: * Odia people in Odisha, India * Odia language, an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family * Odia alphabet, a writing system used for the Odia languag ...
languages. Hariharan has acted in a Tamil film with
Khushbu Khushbu Sundar (born Nakhat Khan; 29 September 1970) is an Indian actress, politician, film producer and television presenter. She is known for her works predominantly in Tamil, besides Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is a rec ...
, ''
Power of Women The "Power of Women" (german: Weibermacht) is a medieval and Renaissance artistic and literary topos, showing "heroic or wise men dominated by women", presenting "an admonitory and often humorous inversion of the male-dominated sexual hierarc ...
'' (2005), and played cameo roles in the Tamil film ''
Boys A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is "a ...
'' and the Malayalam film ''
Millennium Stars ''Millennium Stars'' is a 2000 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Jayaraj, starring Jayaram and Suresh Gopi in lead roles, and also features Biju Menon and Abhirami. The soundtrack of the film was composed by Vidyasagar. The movi ...
''.


Ghazals

Hariharan is one of the foremost Indian
ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
singers and composers with more than thirty albums to his credit. In his early career, he cut several successful ''ghazal'' albums, writing most of the scores himself. One of Hariharan's first ghazal albums was ''
Aabshar-e-Ghazal ''Aabshaar-E-Ghazal'' is a ghazal album by legendary Indian singers Asha Bhosle and Hariharan. It was released in the year 1985. The album featured 8 songs, all of them are composed by Hariharan and sung by Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; Mang ...
'' with
Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; Mangeshkar; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian  playback singer, entrepreneur and occasional actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian Cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the ...
, which went gold in sales."Artist biography: Hariharan"
, Indianmusicinfo.com; retrieved 28 January 2011.
Another outstanding ''ghazal'' album was '' Gulfam'', which not only hit double platinum in sales but also fetched Hariharan the Diva Award for the Best Album of the Year in 1995. The other major ghazal albums by him are Hazir'' (1992)'', '' Jashn'' (1996), '' Halka Nasha'' (1996)'', ''Paigham'' (1997), ''
Kaash ''Kaash'' is an 1987 Bollywood film written and directed by Mahesh Bhatt. It is produced by the comedian Mehmood's brother Anwar Ali. Like several other 1980s films by Mahesh Bhatt, ''Kaash'', was described as a semi-art film and upon release, ...
'' (2000), and
Lahore Ke Rang Hari Ke Sang ''Lahore Ke Rang Hari Ke Sang'' is an album of the Indian singer and Ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amator ...
'' (2005). His live concert recordings, '' Hariharan in Concert'' (1990), ''
Saptarishi The Saptarishi () are the seven rishis of ancient India who are extolled in the Vedas, and other Hindu literature. The Vedic Samhitas never enumerate these rishis by name, although later Vedic texts such as the Brahmanas and Upanisads do so. ...
'' (1996) and '' Swar Utsav'' (2001) were run away successes. His latest ghazal album is '' Lafzz...'' (2008). Hariharan worked with tabla maestro
Zakir Hussain Zakir Hussain ( ur, , link=no) is the name of: * Zakir Husain (politician), an Indian politician and former president of India * Zakir Hussain (actor), Bollywood actor * Zakir Hussain (field hockey) (1934–2019), Pakistani field hockey player * ...
on his album ''Hazir''. The album ''Lahore Ke Rang Hari Ke Sang'' won rave reviews and critical acclaim inside and outside India.
A.R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
was an avid listener of his ghazals way before roping him in to sing his first song in Tamil film music, "Thamizha Thamizha", for the film ''
Roja Roja may refer to: * ''Roja'' (film), a 1992 Tamil-language film by director Mani Ratnam * ''Roja'' (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the film * Roja Selvamani Roja Selvamani (born Sri Latha Reddy; 17 November 1972), also known as R. K. ...
''.


Colonial Cousins

The year 1996 was a career milestone; he formed the band ''
Colonial Cousins Colonial Cousins is an Indian duo, formed by singer Hariharan and singer-composer Lesle Lewis, who also have successful solo careers. Their eponymous first album hit platinum in sales in India alone and consistently headed the Indian music ch ...
'' with
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
-based composer and singer Lesle Lewis. Their first album, ''
Colonial Cousins Colonial Cousins is an Indian duo, formed by singer Hariharan and singer-composer Lesle Lewis, who also have successful solo careers. Their eponymous first album hit platinum in sales in India alone and consistently headed the Indian music ch ...
'' was a fusion album and was the first Indian act to be featured on ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
''. It won a string of awards including the MTV Indian Viewers' Choice award and Billboard Award for the Best Asian Music Group. By this single album, Hariharan established himself as one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. The next albums by this band were ''
The Way We Do It ''The Way We Do It'' is the second studio album of Colonial Cousins, an Indian duo composed of singer Hariharan and singer-composer Lesle Lewis. It was released on November 19, 1998 under the label Sony BMG. Reception The first Colonial Cousin ...
'' (1998) and '' Aatma'' (2001) but were fairly noticed. Colonial Cousins released their fourth studio album " Once More" on 29 October 2012 under the label Universal. The 2009 Tamil film ''
Modhi Vilayadu ''Modhi Vilayadu'' () is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Saran. It stars Vinay and Kajal Aggarwal. This is the second time that Saran had worked without his usual music collaborator Bharadwaj after ''Alli Arjuna'' in 2002. ...
'' had score and soundtrack composed by Colonial Cousins. They also scored the 2010 Tamil film ''
Chikku Bukku ''Chikku Bhukku'' is a 2010 Tamil romance film written and directed by K. Manikandan and produced by Sunanda Murali Manohar, starring Arya, debutante Preetika and Shriya Saran, in the lead roles, with Santhanam and Anoop Kumar in supporting rol ...
''.


Recent years

In 2004, he was awarded the
Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
and
Yesudas Award Swaralaya Kairali Yesudas Award (or usually referred to as Yesudas Award) is an award for music artists in recognition to their outstanding performance. The award is instituted jointly by ''Swaralaya'', an organization that promotes music and Kai ...
for his outstanding performance in music."Padma Shri Award recipients list"
India.gov.in. Retrieved on 1 January 2012.
Hariharan collaborated with
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
based band
Strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
for a track called "Bolo Bolo". He released an album called ''Destiny'' with Punjabi/bhangra artist
Daler Mehndi Daler Singh (born 18 August 1967), better known as Daler Mehndi, is an Indian singer, songwriter, author, and record producer. He has helped to make Bhangra popular worldwide, as well as Indian pop music independent of Bollywood music. He is be ...
. He coined the terminology "Urdu Blues" with his fairly successful album ''
Kaash ''Kaash'' is an 1987 Bollywood film written and directed by Mahesh Bhatt. It is produced by the comedian Mehmood's brother Anwar Ali. Like several other 1980s films by Mahesh Bhatt, ''Kaash'', was described as a semi-art film and upon release, ...
'' which featured musicians like
Anandan Sivamani Sivamani (1 December 1959), commonly known by his stage name Drums Sivamani, is an Indian percussionist. He plays many instruments including drums, octoban, darbuka, udukai, ghatam and kanjira. He performed drumming during the IPL Championships ...
the percussion maestro, Ustad Rashid Mustafa on
tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల ...
, Ustad Liyaqat Ali Khan on
sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...
and
Ustad Sultan Khan Ustad Sultan Khan (15 April 1940 – 27 November 2011) was an Indian ''sarangi'' player and classical vocalist belonging to ''Sikar Gharana''. He was one of the founding members of the Indian fusion group Tabla Beat Science, with Zakir Huss ...
on
sarangi The sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument played in traditional music from South Asia – Punjabi folk music, Rajasthani folk music, and Boro folk music (there known as the ''serja'') – in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It is ...
. He also performed the Swagatham song in the
2010 Commonwealth Games The 2010 Commonwealth Games (Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India, f ...
opening ceremony held in New Delhi on 3 October. During 2010–2011, he appeared in a music show in
Jaya TV Jaya TV HD is a Tamil language satellite television channel based in Chennai, India. Jaya TV HD is also broadcast to the expatriate Tamil community via various media partnerships. Hemant Sahai of HSA had Jaya TV HD as his first client. Jaya TV ...
named ''Hariyudan Naan'' which was aired every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Hariharan collaborated with Sarangan Sriranganathan for "Sruthi" at the Sydney Hill Centre and the Melbourne Robert Blackwood Hall Australia in 2011 He unofficially released ghazal singer
Adithya Srinivasan Adithya Srinivasan is an Indian singer. He is best known for his award winning ghazals, and international singles in classical, pop, and world music genres. His notable performances include sharing stage space with Hariharan and opening for Gh ...
's first international single 'Gham e Duniya' at the Gateway Hotel, Bangalore. In an interview in 2012, he said that he was no longer receiving offers to sing for Bollywood as music composers wanted to experiment with singers from the younger generation. He was selected as judge for Asianet Star Singer Season 6 programme, a very popular music contest television show for upcoming singers in Malayalam. Hariharan was a part of the 'Royal Stag Barrel Select MTV Unplugged', aired in December 2015.


Major awards

; Civilian Awards * 2004 –
Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
;
National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...
* 1998 –
National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer The following is a list of winners of the National Film Awards, National Film Award (Silver Lotus Award) for Best Male Playback singer. The award was first granted to Mahendra Kapoor in the year 1967. The singers whose performances have won awar ...
: "Mere Dushman", ''
Border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
'' *
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer The following is a list of winners of the National Film Awards, National Film Award (Silver Lotus Award) for Best Male Playback singer. The award was first granted to Mahendra Kapoor in the year 1967. The singers whose performances have won awar ...
: "Jeev Dangla Gungla Rangla", ''
Jogwa ''Jogwa - The Awakening'' is a 2009 Marathi-language film directed by Rajiv Patil and produced under iDream Productions & Screenplay by Sanjay Krishnaji Patil. It stars Upendra Limaye and Mukta Barve while Priya Berde, Vinay Apte, Sharvani P ...
'' ;
Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...
* 2011 –
Kerala State Film Award for Best Singer The Kerala State Film Award for Best Singer is an honour, established in 1969, and presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India for best female and male playback singer in Malayalam cinema. The first recipients of the award were P. ...
– for the song "Pattu Paaduvaan" in the film " Pattinte Palazhi" music by Dr. Suresh Manimala ; Swaralaya-Kairali-Yesudas Award * 2004 – For his outstanding contribution to Indian film music ;
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The aw ...
* 2004 – Best Male Playback Singer – for various films * 1995 – Best Male Playback Singer – for the song "Koncha Naal" in the film ''
Aasai ''Aasai'' () () is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film, written and directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Ajith Kumar and debutant Suvaluxmi, with Prakash Raj, Rohini, Poornam Viswanathan, Nizhalgal Ra ...
'' ;
Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
* 1999 – Best Male Playback Singer – for the song "Hima Semalloyallo" in the film '' Annayya'' ;
Asianet Film Awards The Asianet Film Awards is an award ceremony for films presented annually by Asianet, a Malayalam-language television network from the south-Indian state of Kerala. Asianet says that awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artis ...
*
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
Best Male Playback Singer – for ''Amrithamayi'' from ''
Snehaveedu ''Snehaveedu'' () is a 2011 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film written and directed by Sathyan Anthikad. It was produced by Alan Richard under the company Aashirvad Cinemas. The film stars Mohanlal, Sheela, and Rahul Pillai. It was Mo ...
'' *
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
Best Male Playback Singer – for "Aaro Padunnu" from ''
Katha Thudarunnu ''Kadha Thudarunnu'' () is a 2010 Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Sathyan Anthikad. The film stars Jayaram, Mamta Mohandas, Baby Anikha and Asif Ali .Filmfare Awards South Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
- *
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
Best Male Playback Singer – for "Aaro Padunnu" from ''
Katha Thudarunnu ''Kadha Thudarunnu'' () is a 2010 Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Sathyan Anthikad. The film stars Jayaram, Mamta Mohandas, Baby Anikha and Asif Ali .Vijay Awards The Vijay Awards are presented by the Tamil television channel STAR Vijay to honour excellence in Tamil cinema. It has been given annually since 2006, with the latest—the 10th edition—of the award-giving ceremony having been held in ...
- * 2009 – Best Male Playback Singer – for "Nenjukkul Peithidum" from ''
Vaaranam Aayiram ''Vaaranam Aayiram'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon and produced by Venu Ravichandran of Aascar Films. The film stars Suriya in dual lead roles as father and son, with Sameera ...
''


Television

; Reality show as Judge


Discography

*''
Aabshar-e-Ghazal ''Aabshaar-E-Ghazal'' is a ghazal album by legendary Indian singers Asha Bhosle and Hariharan. It was released in the year 1985. The album featured 8 songs, all of them are composed by Hariharan and sung by Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; Mang ...
'' *'' Aathwan Sur – The Other Side of Naushad'' *''
Colonial Cousins Colonial Cousins is an Indian duo, formed by singer Hariharan and singer-composer Lesle Lewis, who also have successful solo careers. Their eponymous first album hit platinum in sales in India alone and consistently headed the Indian music ch ...
'' *''
Dil Aisa Kisi Ne Mera Toda Hariharan (born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback, bhajan and ghazal singer who predominantly sings in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu languages. He has also sung over 15,000 notable songs in 10 regional languages including Malayalam, Kannada, Marat ...
'' *'' Dil Ki Baat'' *'' Dil Nasheen'' *'' Ghazal Ka Mausam'' *'' Gulfam'' *'' Halka Nasha'' *'' Hariharan - Down the Years'' *'' Hariharan in Concert'' *''Horizon'' *''
Intoxicating Hariharan Hariharan (born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback, bhajan and ghazal singer who predominantly sings in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu languages. He has also sung over 15,000 notable songs in 10 regional languages including Malayalam, Kannada, Mar ...
'' *'' Jashn'' *''
Kaash ''Kaash'' is an 1987 Bollywood film written and directed by Mahesh Bhatt. It is produced by the comedian Mehmood's brother Anwar Ali. Like several other 1980s films by Mahesh Bhatt, ''Kaash'', was described as a semi-art film and upon release, ...
'' *'' Kuch Door Hamare Saath'' *'' Lafzz...'' *''
Lahore Ke Rang Hari Ke Sang ''Lahore Ke Rang Hari Ke Sang'' is an album of the Indian singer and Ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amator ...
'' *''
Magic Moments "Magic Moments" is a popular song with music by Burt Bacharach and lyrics by Hal David, one of the first compositions by that duo. The song was published in 1957. The song was recorded by Perry Como as the B-side of his "Catch a Falling Star". I ...
'' *''
Paigham ''Paigham'' () is a 1959 Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film directed by S. S. Vasan. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala in lead roles, with Raaj Kumar, Pandari Bai, B. Saroja Devi, Motilal, Johnny Walker in other important roles. T ...
'' *'' Qaraar'' *'' Reflections'' *''
Saptarishi The Saptarishi () are the seven rishis of ancient India who are extolled in the Vedas, and other Hindu literature. The Vedic Samhitas never enumerate these rishis by name, although later Vedic texts such as the Brahmanas and Upanisads do so. ...
'' *'' Swar Utsav'' *'' Sukoon'' *''
The Great Ghazals Hariharan (born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback, bhajan and ghazal singer who predominantly sings in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu languages. He has also sung over 15,000 notable songs in 10 regional languages including Malayalam, Kannada, Mar ...
'' *'' The Very Best of Hariharan Ghazals'' *'' Visaal – Ghazals for Connoisseurs'' *'' Waqt Par Bolna'' ; Albums by Colonial Cousins *''
Colonial Cousins Colonial Cousins is an Indian duo, formed by singer Hariharan and singer-composer Lesle Lewis, who also have successful solo careers. Their eponymous first album hit platinum in sales in India alone and consistently headed the Indian music ch ...
– MTV Unplugged'' *'' Colonial Cousins – The Way We Do It'' *'' Colonial Cousins – Aatma'' *''
Modhi Vilayadu ''Modhi Vilayadu'' () is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Saran. It stars Vinay and Kajal Aggarwal. This is the second time that Saran had worked without his usual music collaborator Bharadwaj after ''Alli Arjuna'' in 2002. ...
'' (soundtrack album) *''
Chikku Bukku ''Chikku Bhukku'' is a 2010 Tamil romance film written and directed by K. Manikandan and produced by Sunanda Murali Manohar, starring Arya, debutante Preetika and Shriya Saran, in the lead roles, with Santhanam and Anoop Kumar in supporting rol ...
'' (soundtrack album) *''
Colonial Cousins Colonial Cousins is an Indian duo, formed by singer Hariharan and singer-composer Lesle Lewis, who also have successful solo careers. Their eponymous first album hit platinum in sales in India alone and consistently headed the Indian music ch ...
Once More''


Featured albums

*''
Jana Gana Mana "" (Sanskrit: जन गण मन) is the national anthem of the Republic of India. It was originally composed as '' Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata'' in Bengali by polymath Rabindranath Tagore. The first stanza of the song ''Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata' ...
– by
A.R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
'' *''1995 Meghutam – The Cloud Messenger (Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt)'' *''2000 Sartaj'' *''2002 Tum Aaye'' *''2004 Dhaani'' *''2008 Tum Jo Mile'' *''2009 Lajwaab – Tribute to Medi Hasan'' *''Asha wali Dhoop'' *''Chand Ke Saath'' *''2011 Hasrat'' *''2011 Sarhadein: Music Beyond Boundaries'' *''2014 JIL (Just In Love): Music By Dr. Kelvin Jeyakanth''


References


External links

* *Sai, Veejay (4 October 2012
Success… on his terms
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hariharan 1955 births Bhajan singers Filmfare Awards South winners Indian male playback singers Indian male ghazal singers Kannada playback singers Living people Malayalam playback singers Marathi playback singers Marathi-language singers Singers from Mumbai Singers from Thiruvananthapuram Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Sa Re Ga Ma Pa participants Tamil musicians Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners Tamil playback singers Telugu playback singers Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award Film musicians from Kerala Best Male Playback Singer National Film Award winners Screen Awards winners