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Colonial hangover

Photo: V. Ganesan

Two good Hariharan and Leslie Lewis

When you are in the company of the Colonial Cousins you are tempted to twist Tina Turner’s powerhouse number “What’s love got to do with it” a little and hum “What’s age got to do with it”.

The singer, composer and performer duo’s zest for life and work, infectious humour, refreshing repartees and funky clothes and hairdo — all draw you in.

The photo-shoot is quite a riot. Hariharan drags Leslie close by putting an arm around his shoulders for a warm, friendly pose, but suddenly pulls away. “Leslie, don’t you think it’s better to go for straight shots. We are just partners in music,” he quips.

Thirteen years ago (when they came together), the two took the kutcheri staple “Krishna nee begane baro” to a cool crowd with unarguably one of the finest mixes of Indian classical and western notes, infusing impeccably the messages of peace and non-violence.

Hariharan and Leslie Lewis are now working on their next album “Colonial Cousins Once More”, which will have the flavour of the super-successful debut album. “But definitely it will be different,” Hariharan makes it clear. He continues, “Every album should have something new to offer. There’s so much to explore. It’s exciting when you can influence and draw inspiration from musical genres across the world. There’s no place for contentment in creativity.”

“Give him any song, he will embellish it his way. He has the technique. And he does it subtly and instinctively,” says Leslie looking at his band-mate. “Technique and discipline are crucial to musicians but they should take care not to fall into a pattern. What’s the fun if your work gets predictable?”

Recently, the Cousins took to music direction. The soon-to-be-released Tamil film “Modhi Vilayadu” is their debut venture. Up next is another Tamil film “Chikku Bukku”.

Why Tamil films? “Language was hardly a consideration. We got an opportunity and we thought ‘why not’,” says Hariharan, who has more than 500 Tamil songs to his credit and whose mother is a well-versed Carnatic musician.

Besides having a Tamil friend (Hariharan), Leslie has composed several jingles in Tamil, and his father P. L. Raj, a well-known dance choreographer in films, spoke the language fluently.

Don’t they fear succumbing to commercial compulsions and producers’ diktats? “Commerce is not a wrong term. Life revolves around it. Tell me, will not the man who is investing so much money in a film think about the returns? Those coming to us know about our work and capacity. I am sure they will never come up with senseless suggestions,” smiles Leslie.

Advantages of being a singer-composer? “Singers cannot get away with lame excuses during recordings. But we don’t get hyper-critical or intimidate them with our suggestions,” says Leslie.

Chips in Hariharan, “I believe in approaching things with an open mind. The ‘Hamare zamaane mein…’ (in our times) talks are for those who have retired. If you want to stay on, work for today and think for tomorrow.”

The versatile duo think it’s highly impractical to resist change. “The way we speak has changed, our food habits are not the same, our attitude and approach have changed, relationships have changed, emotions have changed, the way we deal with them have changed…then why not music?” asks Hariharan.

Driven by modern compulsions they may be, but their traditional belief in a sound foundation and riyaaz is still strong. “Time-tested values will not get outdated even in today’s tech world. With increasing musical exchanges, it is all the more important to have a deep understanding of your art, else you run the risk of losing your identity,” avers Hariharan. When judging music reality shows, he advises youngsters to develop their individuality rather than imitate popular singers.

Do soulful ghazals still find a place in Hariharan’s frenzied recording routine? “In fact there are now more takers. Recently at a three-hour ghazal concert there was not a single farmaish for film songs. And why would anybody, if they get to hear the haunting ‘Kaash aisa koi manzil hota…’.

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