BENGALURU: If you’re one of those still trying to get the feel and tune of 'Tu Hi Re' from 'Bombay' right, you’re not alone. The magic that Hariharn wove into the song, a hit in the ’95 movie, remains hard to match.
The singer, who has been keeping low-key off late, is back to the forefront. This time, along with Ricky Kej for their new song, 'Dekha Hain'.
Explaining the song, the 65-year-old singer explains that it is about the state of the earth and a person’s utopic vision.
“But in the visuals, you will see it’s nothing like what you dream of, and how you are mistreating nature. It’s a call for us to wake up. Otherwise, the beautiful work is going to leave us,” says the two-time National Award-winning singer.
Having known Kej for many years, Hariharan is impressed with the outcome. “His compositions are very thoughtful and he has done very well for himself,” he adds.
Known for bringing in a perfect fusion of Indian ragas and Western style, Hariharan has been considered ahead of his time. Artistes, he believes, should have a style of their own, rather than follow a trend.
“Style is timeless. Basically, how you communicate through your art is important, it should not be affected by an appeal. You should be just an artiste and have a lot of conviction to love yourself, your art and have confidence in yourself,” says one half of the ’90s popular fusion band, Colonial Cousins, also hinting that the boys’ band featuring him and Leslee Lewis will be back soon once the pandemic settles down.
It was a small treat for their fans when they saw the duo perform at a few digital concerts during the lockdown. Though Hariharan admits that he can never get used to digital concerts, as it felt more of a “televised show”, he believes that music has surely played an important role in spreading positive energy during these tough times.
“When you see a beautiful sunset, why do you react to it in a positive way? Because those things have positive energy. The same is with sound... it energises the person listening to it even if they don’t know music,” explains Hariharan.
During the pandemic, the world lost many legends, including Ustaad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, who happened to be his guru. “It was a personal loss. I have been his shagird since I was 17 years old. It’s a huge loss not just for me for the world,” he says.
Hariharan is now looking at a busy 2021 calendar. He is currently in Kolkata, shooting for a music album with percussionist Bickram Ghosh. He will soon be seen in the debut album of his elder son, Akshay Hariharan. At the same time, he is also working on an album of ghazals.