Happy birthday to the voice behind timeless hits and the co-founder of Colonial Cousins!
The legendary bhajan and ghazal singer Hariharan celebrates his 70th birthday today! Renowned not just for his soulful bhajans and ghazals, he has also given us some of Bollywood’s most iconic and timeless songs, including ‘Tu Hi Re,’ ‘Bahon Ke Darmiyan,’ ‘Roja Jaanemann,’ and ‘Chod Aaye Hum.’ A pioneer of Indian fusion music, he has recorded over 15,000 remarkable songs in more than 10 languages, including Marathi, Sinhala, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Odia, Bengali, Sanskrit, Gujarati, and English. On this special occasion, let’s look at Colonial Cousins, the two-piece band he co-founded with Leslee Lewis.
The 1990s saw a musical revolution in India, driven by a combination of technology, exposure to Western music, and a changing youth culture. With televisions becoming a household staple and global music channels like MTV and Channel V introducing new sounds, young listeners began seeking alternatives to the Bollywood music of the 1980s. This shift gave rise to a wave of indie-fusion bands with distinctly Western-influenced names, such as Colonial Cousins, Bombay Vikings, Indian Ocean, and Euphoria. These groups became the soundtrack of a generation shaped by economic liberalization, bridging the gap between cassette-era nostalgia and the new-age dominance of televised music.
Colonial Cousins gained fame for their distinctive fusion of traditional Indian and Western music, pioneering the genre and achieving platinum sales with their debut album in 1996. The idea for the duo was born during Leslee Lewis's jingle-writing career. One evening in 1992, Lewis invited Hariharan to record a jingle, but with the lyrics delayed, he began casually strumming his guitar and humming a tune. Inspired by the moment, Hariharan joined in with an alaap, sparking an impromptu jam session. That spontaneous collaboration marked the beginning of their musical journey as Colonial Cousins.
Colonial Cousins were a sensation in India during the 1990s, marking one of the first and longest-standing ‘Hinglish’ musical collaborations. The dynamic duo of Carnatic classical vocalist Hariharan and Western-influenced Leslee Lewis achieved breakthrough success with their debut album self-titled ‘Colonial Cousins,’ which was released on October 1, 1996, to widespread critical and global acclaim. The album shattered records, including reaching platinum sales in India. Their music is predominantly fusion, often beginning with recognizable Hindustani or Carnatic ragas before proceeding with a more contemporary pop style.
Hariharan is one of India's most renowned ghazal singers and composers, with over thirty albums to his name. Beyond his success in ghazals, his impact on film music is equally unforgettable. Over the years, Hariharan has remained one of AR Rahman’s most trusted vocalists, lending his voice to numerous films. With a repertoire that includes over 500 Tamil songs, nearly 200 Hindi songs, and contributions to various other languages, he continues to be a defining voice in Indian music.
Leslee Lewis is one of the pioneers of rock and pop music in India, introducing audiences to rock and pop and contemporary music. Striving to introduce audiences to a diverse range of musical styles, he has successfully maintained his originality across advertisement jingles, film compositions, and various modern music genres.
It’s remarkable to think that two artists with such contrasting musical backgrounds and vocal styles—Lewis with his Western influences and Hariharan with his classical roots—came together to create the timeless music of Colonial Cousins.
