My Compelling Story

Hariharan is one veteran singer in the Indian music industry who has given n-number of hits to this country. He grew up in Bombay (Mumbai) and has bachelor's degrees in Science and Law. The son of renowned Carnatic vocalists, Smt. Alamelu, Hariharan imbibed his parents' musical talents. Alamelu was Hariharan's first mentor. From his mother, he picked up Carnatic music knowledge. He also got exposed to Hindustani music. In his teens, he was highly inspired by the songs of Mehdi Hassan. Hariharan had a passion for ghazals and soon started training in Hindustani music from Padmabhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. Hariharan also learnt Urdu when he decided to become a ghazal singer. Hariharan collaborated with Lesle Lewis and formed his duo-band named, 'The Colonial Cousins'. The duo has given numerous albums to the music industry. In 2004, he was awarded the reputable Padma Shri and Yesudas Award for his outstanding performance in music.