Singer, composer Hariharan celebrates 50 years of his ghazal journey

I am going to present some Chand thumris and ghazals in raag dhaari, as well as some modern renditions in my style. I have learnt Carnatic music, Hindustani music; I have also been a part of Colonial cousins and have done fusion music. All of this reflects in my compositions.

As far as ghazals are concerned, I compose all the renditions I perform. It is absolutely my music knowledge, my soul and my style which come into play when I sing ghazals.

Also, last year, I completed 50 years of my ghazal journey, and it continues. I am looking forward to celebrating this milestone with the audience in Hyderabad.

A Bollywood song is a composition made by someone else, and for an actor on screen. We don’t improvise, make extensions—we get a song, project the words as they must be, and give it the right feel. These are two completely different ball games.

It largely depends on the music director. If they are open to ideas, we can experiment with block-building compositions or I can add certain nuances. Whether this creativity is embraced or not depends on the discretion of the music director and the film director.

Firstly, the poetry sets the mood for the tune, and the music is composed according to the words. In light music, Shabd Pradhan (words take precedence). You sing the words in a specific tune, in a particular sargam or musical form, but the tune should enhance the words and capture the mood of the couplet. 

Then comes the arrangement and music, which interweave with the singing. It all needs to come together to create one cohesive mood. One song should have one consistent sound, known as sound design. There’s musicality, composition, words, and the art of setting words into a composition.

Next is the arrangement. I work with arrangers who align with my philosophy of composition. Their work must add to the composition, not stand alone.

After that, the music producer designs the soundscape, figuring out how to build the sound around the song. This involves mixing—deciding which elements are prominent and which are subdued.

I composed an album of eight ghazals called Aabshaar-e-ghazal in 1985 for Asha Bhosle. I also sang two duets with her for the same album. I hold this collaboration very close to my heart. The collaboration with Leslie Lewis for Colonial Cousins is also a memorable one.

Whenever I sang a duet with Lata, it was amazing. As a student of music, I’ve observed her closely and attended many of her recordings. There was a time when I was an assistant to music director Jaydevji, and I had many opportunities to observe Lata singing and recording a song —not just in the studio but her entire approach to it. That was a huge learning experience for me.

With AR Rahman, I’ve done most of my Bollywood and Tamil songs. It is incredible working with him because he’s not just a music director and composer but also a producer. He has this unique way of making you feel comfortable and bringing out the best in you. That’s his style, and only he can do it.

I was in my second year of law when I got noticed at a competition—All India Choirs, Sur Singha Samsit—where I won an award. That’s where I met Jaydevji. He gave me a song in Gaman (1977), starring Smita Patil and Farooq Sheikh, with music by Jaydevji and lyrics by Farooq. That was the turning point, after which more opportunities kept coming my way. That’s when I thought, maybe this is what I am meant to be.

In the 70s and 80s, all our songs were recorded through live recordings. We would go to the studio, rehearse the song, and the musicians would practice their parts. It was all done in one take. We would sing and play together, spending the whole day there—starting from around 11 in the morning and sometimes continuing past midnight.

We practiced, rehearsed, and learned the song as if we were performing it live with so many musicians. Sometimes, there were about 70 to 80 musicians present, giving us a carnival feel. In the 90s, we started dubbing our voices. We no longer knew who was singing with us. I’ve done many songs for various music directors where I sang to just a click track and a few chords, only to hear a completely different song once all the arrangements were added. 

The style of music has also evolved. Film music isn’t just music on its own—it’s created for the medium of film. It depends on the movie’s storyline, the kind of film being made, whether it’s a musical, if music is even needed, and the nature of the characters.

I’m releasing two ghazal albums. One is with a poet named Farhat Shahzad, and the other is from a live concert where I sang many of Mehdi Hassan’s ghazals—in his memory. That live concert recording is going to be released soon.