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Wednesday, 17 August 2011

Thamizha Thamizha', the patriotic centrepiece of the national award winning Roja, was an ideal launch vehicle for the singer and the beginning of one of most fruitful collaborations in all of Tamil cinema

MADURAI: Rarely does a playback singer burst into the Tamil scene with the impact Hariharan created upon arrival. 'Thamizha Thamizha', the patriotic centrepiece of the national award winning Roja, was an ideal launch vehicle for the singer and the beginning of one of most fruitful collaborations in all of Tamil cinema. Along with A R Rahman, for whom Hariharan continues to sing till this day, the artiste recorded some of the most soulful songs ever sung in Tamil.

As more songs were released, Hariharan gradually became a household name and a rage among devout fans. With strong footing in Hindustani and Carnatic music, mellifluous voice and a refreshing sense of intonation, Hariharan soon became a critically-acclaimed singer. His versatile voice promised a bankability that lured many a composer to Hariharan's doorsteps.

Come August 19, Madurai will get a chance to listen to the singer live. The electrifying event will happen at 7pm in Thamukkam Maidanam.

"I'm really excited about performing in Madurai as it's been a long while since i sang there. The last time I did a show there was during a Kargil concert. This time I plan to sing many of my Tamil hits, and the music will comprise both fast-paced numbers as well as melodious ones," Hariharan told The Times of India.

Through the '90s, Hariharan dominated the playback scene. His Uyire Uyire, sung with K S Chithra, became both a huge commercial hit and won him praise from critics. He was awarded the state award for the song. Soon his name on an album was enough to boost its sales. But before entering the film world, Hariharan was a ghazal singer of repute and significant popularity.

He also was part of the first act to be shown on MTV. Collaborating with Mumbai-based artiste Leslie Lewis, Hariharan formed Colonial Cousins, a fusion band, whose music became a rage. He released two more Colonial Cousins albums, which garnered fair attention, but never matched up to the first album. Hariharan has also released albums in collaboration with Strings, the Pakistani band, and Daler Mehndi.

Hariharan was born in 1955 in Trivandrum in a family passionate about music. He grew up in Mumbai. His mother Alumelu was his first guru.

Later, ghazals of Mehndi Hassan and Jagjit Singh inspired him. He took Urdu lessons before turning a ghazal singer. In 1977, Hariharan won the All India Sur Singaar award. He also sung in the popular Hindi serial Junoon apart from many others. He was also a regular in the concert circuit and on TV. His breakthrough in Hindi cinema came when composer Jaidev made him sing Ajeeb Saaneha Mujh Par for Muzaffar Ali's Hindi film Gaman, a performance that won him the Uttar Pradesh state award.

Hariharan has also appeared in the movies, most prominently in Power of Women alongside Khushboo. He has also appeared in cameo roles in Boys and Millennium Stars. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2004

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