Hariharan N The Musical Genius - Essay Example

HARIHARAN N –The Musical Genius It is uncommon to find well-educated artists in the entertainment industry, but in the case of India, Hariharan isan exception. Hariharan has finished two bachelors’ degree: in the field of law and science. Two contrasting disciplines that takes a lot of commitment to pursue; however, the music in his blood did not die since he pursued a musical career. The year 1977 was the year that validated that music ran in his veins when he bagged the top-prize in the All-India Sur Singaar competition. It was a very prestigious competition then; moreover, he was immediately signed on by a music director then to sing for the Hindi film “Gaman” ( hindiflix.com). from then on, This was the start of his popularity especially when he received the Utta Pradesh State Award for the song “Ajeeb Saane He Mujh Par Qaraar” in the movie “Gaman”. This gave way to many concerts, television performance and even TV serial such as “Junoon”. In 1994, he received the Best Album of the Year Award for the song Abshaar-e-Ghazal. In 1998, he was awarded as the “Best Male Playback Singer” by the Tamil Nadu State Government Film Awards for his song “Mere dushman mere bhai”. All of the awards however were nothing compared to the milestone that he achieved in the year 1996, the time when his fusion album ( Indian-English ) “ Colonial Cousins” made him a celebrity. It was a collaboration between Bombay-based composer/singer Leslie Lewis and him. It was popular due to the fact that it : "Colonial Cousins" became the first Indian act to be featured on MTV Unplugged and also won the pair a string of national and international awards, including the MTV Indian Viewers Choice award and US Billboards award”( Hariharan mysticamusic.com ) The popular album showcased Harahan’s musical prowess as a co-writer , musical scorer and artist. This is a hard combination to beat even amongst young artists of today where singing is the only forte one has. What was outstanding about Harihan is that he was able to “ scale the song Hamsathwani raga in three octaves, hitting the lowest and highest notes with equal facility. His other songs like “Feel Alright “ is a perfect example of fusion wherein he was able to sing the English lyrics yet in typical Indian folk style. Nevertheless, the classical music that Harihan grew up with resurfaced in “Its Gonna Be Alright” as traces of Carnati singing can be heard in the song. However, there were even better things to come as years went by. It seems that Harihan’s songs were made to shine in movies like the first one he did at Gaman, however, he shone even more when he sang the patriotic song “Mere dushman mere bhai” from the movie Border in 1998. It was the showcase of his refined talent that he shared to the music industry some 20 years ago. Although he takes inspiration from popular Indian singers before him, he has crafted his niche in the industry. Presently, Harihan is living with his pretty wife Lalita and has two sons – Akshay and Karan. Influences in Harihan’s Music Harihan is a disciplined artist and this can be explained by his exposure to music at an early age being the son of two famous Carnatic vocalists – the late Ananthasubramani and Shrimati Alemulu. Carnatic music is one of the oldest type of music in the world which can be compared to classical music due to its complexity. According to the website carnatic india, artists practicing Carnatic music are inclined towards spirituality since this type of music is like a form of worship whose end is to attain salvation according to Hinduism( carnatic india.com ). Surprisingly, though his parents were devoted to Carnatic music, they allowed him to listen to other forms of music such as Hindustani music. His passion for music was overwhelming that some news articles about Harihara reported that he even practiced for 9 hours a day. Hindustani music is another form of classical music, known also as North Indian style of classical music. This type of music dates back as early as the 12th century AD. The main difference with Carnati music is that Carnati originated from south India. Hindustani like Carnati is also spiritual in form since it is heavily inspired by the Vedas. What we’re trying to emphasize in this research about Harihan and his music is that his discipline in singing as well as craftsmanship can be greatly attributed to his training in these two types of Indian classical music. Fusion music and Indian Rain Indian rain belongs to the category of fusion music since it is a mixture of two different genre of music. Fusion music in the United States became apparent when gospel music was combined with rock and roll music. Now, most African-American gospel singers put in their own style in singing gospel music- hip hop, R and B, etc. This resulted to wide acceptance of the public and made gospel music appealing to the young generation. Fusion music is very much accepted in India nowadays, although some traditional musicians perceive this as diluting the true beauty of Indian music. It is even unthinkable at first that a classical musician such as Harihara would be able to give such a beautiful rendition of fusion music since he is aligned with the classics. But then again, Bocelli in his genre did belt out and revived old songs that are now chartbusters. In this age of technology, almost anything is possible inside the music studio. Different genre, tunes, musical instruments, voice can be mixed together to give an old song a fresh start. In fact, some old forgotten songs made it to the charts after being revived. The success of the two Indian musicians who performed for MTV Unplugged was applauded by young people in India. Apparently, MTV is a benchmark for musical success these days in the spirit of commercialism. Indeed, there is much to celebrate about these Indian break through in the western market since it will give chance to more young and aspiring Indian artists. It shows that Indian music can be taken seriously and can fare in the market as good as any popular hit. The best way to evaluate the song in its fullness is to listen to the song itself which is fortunately available in YouTube. At the beginning of the song, the voice of Lewis could easily deceive the listener into thinking that this was one of those songs sung by any old band like America or Bread. However, when Harihara brings in his special type of chanting, the listener becomes aware that this fusion music. The chant as well as some musical instruments like string instruments ( harp ) easily give in that this is from India. The result is a surprising harmony, a real fusion where one would appreciate the beauty, and the effort rendered in the making of the song. In fact, the song itself is effortless since there are no high notes, just plain laidback song to listen to on obviously, rainy days. The lyrics are very universal: Rain clouds in the sky I don’t know why they make me blue when I’m thinking of you Maybe they want to cry as I walk on by hiding my tears in a world of …..( chanting) Laughter in summer rain causes no pain as I’m looking back on you once again Memories crowding my mind you’re one of a kind life without love I’m helpless (chanting) ( Rain Colonial Cousins You Tube ) The universality of the lyrics makes it very appealing to all ages, but most specially to the young generation who are emotional. However, it may appeal to young urban adults since the saxophone brings in soft jazz that makes it appropriate for listening in a Starbucks Café. SUMMARY Hariharan has made his mark in the Indian entertainment industry by becoming the first Indian to present in MTV unplugged. Although this venue was not an ideal for true musicians, yet his act is unprecedented. More so, he has paved the way for more aspiring young Indian artists to showcase their talents to the western world. Hariharan has proven also that becoming a first rate musician takes years of practice and dedication. Unlike some popular performing artists, most of their success are done overnight; however, the glory does not last long since the beginning of their training is almost just the same as the beginning of their career. In the case of Hariharan, his acquired discipline in Carnati and Hindustani music has given him a solid background in his development as a musician. Although his entry to the music industry was through popular culture, he remained loyal to his type of music and developed his own style. The song Indian Rain is one of the manifestation of Hariharan’s success as a composer and singer. The song is fluid, effortless, as graceful as a ballet dancer, so to speak. It is not a screaming and insecure composition that jars the senses in order to be noticed. Even to non-Indians, the song has a universal appeal which can easily become one’s favorite in his playlists. WORKS CITED Hariharan. Mysticamusic.com. http://www.mysticamusic.com/hariharan.php. accessed: December 6,2008. Harihan biography .Hindilyrix.com. http://www.hindilyrix.com/singers/singer-hariharan.html. accessed :December 7,2008 Krisnaraj, S. Carnatic Music.Carnaticindia.com. http://www.carnaticindia.com/ accessed: December 5, 2008. Read More