RMIM Archive Article "179".
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian
#
# RMIM Archives..
# Subject: Smooth switchover from one style to another - Hariharan
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# Author: K. SANTHOSH
# Source: The Hindu, April 26 1996
# Copyright 1995 THE HINDU & PARALOGIC CORPORATION.
#
# This article belongs to online "The Hindu" newspaper.
#
# Please check the "The Hindu" html pages, at:
# http://www.webpage.com/hindu
#
# and see under the "Arts" section in the April 96 issues.
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Smooth switchover from one style to another
Singer Hariharan
Interview by K. Santhosh
The Hindu
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Thiruvananthapuram holds a special place in singer Hariharan's
heart. His father, H. A. S. Mani, lived in this city before
migrating to Bombay for a living. Young Hariharan used to spend
his summer holidays in Thiruvananthapuram with his uncle.
``My father was among the first batch of graduates from the Swati
Tirunal College of Music, where greats like G. N. Balasubramaniam
and Harikesanellur Muthaiah Bhagavathar taught. As a child,
father used to sing `kirtans' with T. K. Murthy now a well-known
mridangam player accompanying him on a tin-drum. The duo had
even displayed their talents before the then Maharaja of
Travancore, Chithira Tirunal Bala Rama Varma,'' Hariharan says.
The golden-voiced singer, who performed in Thiruvananthapuram
recently, spoke about his chequered career and the contemporary
film music scene. Excerpts:
Question: How did you manage a smooth switchover from Carnatic to
Hindustani music?
Answer: I picked up Carnatic music from my mother, Alamelu. My
parents were musically open-minded. I was encouraged to hear a
lot of Hindustani music. Later, I trained under Ustad Ghulam
Mustafa Khan during which I had to unlearn whatever I had imbibed
earlier and adapt myself to the ``gamak-oriented'' style. When I
embraced ghazals, I took extra care about my pronunciation. I put
my heart and soul into learning Urdu.
Q: Can you speak about your early interest in ghazals?
A: It all began after I heard Mehdi Hassan in 1970. What a great
singer! He could breathe passion even into the dullest lyric. His
numbers, ``Patha Patha Poota Poota'' and ``Ab Ke Hum Bichade,''
are still on every lip. I also relished listening to Jagjit Singh
(``Saamne Baite Use Log Bura Kahte Hain'') and Ghulam Ali (``Para
Para,'' ``Tur Gayi Maayi'').``Ghazal'' means ``talking to the
beloved.'' Originally, the songs were accompanied by the
``pakhawaj.'' They had the ``thumri'' style of ``gayaki.''I like
them because they offer immense scope for innovation. Classical
techniques such as ``alaap'' and ``sargam'' can be employed while
singing them. And they please both the connoisseur and the common
man. Some of the finest film melodies by composers like Madan
Mohan and Jaidev are in the ghazal format.
Q: Was it not Jaidev who promoted you in the industry?
A: Yes. I first met him at the All-India Sur Singar Competition
in 1977, of which he was a judge. Jagjit was another. I won a
prize at the contest and Jaidevji offered me the chance to sing a
number, ``Ajeeb Saane He Mujh Par Qurar,'' for the movie
``Gaman,'' directed by Muzaffar Ali. Under his baton, I also
crooned for the movies, ``Raam Nagari'' and ``Khadi Ki Do Haat.''
He was my friend, philosopher and guide. His death a few years
ago came as a great shock. I miss him very much.
Q: Who are your favourite singers?
A: I like Mohammed Rafi for his versatility, Kishore Kumar for
his liveliness, S. P. Balasubramaniam for his vocal power, K. J.
Jesudas for his classical depth....
Q: Your mentor Jaidev had offered some of his Hindustani-based
songs, ``Chaand Akela'' and ``Koi Gata,'' to Jesudas. Do you
think you, with your Hindustani background, could have sung them
better had you been asked to?
A: ``Chand Akela...'' (sings the first stanza of the song). The
numbers would certainly have sounded different then. But I do not
know whether they could have been better than the ones Jesudas
rendered. There was a remarkable freshness about Jesudas's voice
when he entered Hindi films in the Seventies. Few can excel him.
Q: Do you feel contemporary ghazals tend to be repetitive?
A: Yes. But don't they still have takers? Why do people prefer
ghazals? You hear pop music at a party or when you are in an
elated mood at home. But you can not hear it always. It's just
like you can not always have exotic dishes. You have to return to
``idli'' or ``roti.''
I am not saying that the Western mode should be avoided. It is
part and parcel of our light music. The moment you mix a guitar
chord into a folk or semi-classical song, the western element
comes in. I am all for fusion music.
Again, this is the age of video. With an eye on private
television channels, every singer brings out visual presentations
of his songs. It is a glamorous affair. But there is no other
alternative to survive in the market.
Q: You had been in the industry for almost 15 years. But you have
sung only about 100 movie songs...
A: I have worked under stalwarts like Jaidev, Naudhad Ali, Salil
Chowdhury, Lakshmikant-Pyarelal, R. D. Burman and Usha Khanna. I
have recorded duets with singers like Kishore Kumar, Jesudas,
Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle. Yet the industry never sat up
and took notice of my work. It was only recently that I gained
recognition through my work for the films, ``Dard Ke Rishe,''
``Ram Nagri,'' ``Zamana,'' ``Sindoor,'' ``Boxer,'' ``Lamhe,''
``Sahibaan,'' ``Roja,'' ``Darr,'' ``Rangeela,'' ``Jallad,''
``Priyanka,'' ``Shikar,'' ``Kabhi Na Kabhi'' and ``Mritu Dand.''
Quite a few offers have come from Tamil films (``Love Birds,''
``Asai,'' ``Mr. Romeo,'' ``Kalluri Vasal,'' ``Coimbatore
Mappilai'' and ``Indian'') and Malayalam (``Azhakiya Ravanan'').
Before the film assigments poured in, I recorded ghazal albums
such as ``Reflections,'' ``Ghazal Ka Mausam,'' ``Paigam,''
``Gulfam,'' ``Sukoon,'' ``Aab-Shaar-E-Ghazal'' (with Asha
Bhonsle), ``Horizon,'' ``In Concert,'' ``Haazir'' (with tabla
maestro Zakir Hussain) and a pop one with Kavita Krishnamurthy.My
association with A. R. Rehman has been hugely successful. Songs
like ``Tamizha Tamizha'' and ``Uyire Uyire'' were instant hits.
Rahman is one of the music directors who has cut across all
linguistic barriers. His music is enjoyed all over the country.
How did he pull it off? He came at a time when the country's
youth, who had started gyrating to songs on foreign music
channels, were looking for something different from Indian
composers. Our concept of light music has changed over the years.
The new listeners demand stereophonic music with oodles of
metallic sounds. Rahman has fulfilled this.
Q: Wasn't Ilaiyaraja doing the same thing in some of his works?
A: Ilaiyaraja's style is different. He has been heavily
influenced by the classical compositions of Mozart and Bach.
Rehman's mode, on the other hand, is more jazzy.
Q: But hasn't Rehman been influenced by Ilaiyaraja, just as the
latter had been by Salil Chowdhury?
A: Rehman's approach to sound is vastly different from
Ilaiyaraja's. Notice their string arrangements. You can spot the
difference. Both are masters in their own rights.
Q: Will the ``Rehman wave'' last long?
A: I think it will, at least for another five years. Rahman knows
his onions.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: Several new ghazal albums are on the cards. A pop album,
``Colonial Cousins,'' in which I partner Leslie Lewis, will be
released soon. I have sung in English for this. I have plans to
produce collections of ``geets'' and ``bhajans.'' Even though an
extrovert, I am a deeply spiritual person.
K. SANTHOSH
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Copyright 1995 THE HINDU & PARALOGIC CORPORATION.
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From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian