Ghazal will forever hold a special place in my heart: Hariharan

For someone who has sung more than 500 Tamil and 200 Hindi songs, besides 30 plus ghazal albums, singing in multiple genres -- film, classical and Carnatic music -- singer Hariharan says at this juncture of his life, he looks forward only excelling in his craft and making a lasting contribution to the music industry.

Known for singing across genres, this Padma Shri recipient singer tells IANS that this has much to do with his personality, "Diverse genres pique my interest and motivate me. However, I must add that the Ghazal holds a special place in my heart," he says.

As he gets set for HCL Concerts Mehfil-e-Gazal on June 16 in Nagpur, Hariharan, who started classical training at the age of 17 years, stresses that the same holds immense significance in his life.

Calling it a journey of self-discovery, he adds, "Throughout this lifetime, I have been immersed in this pursuit. The essence of Khayal gayaki forms the very foundation of my musical expression."

Recognised for inventing 'Urdu Blues', a new genre within the ghazal which he says allows one to encompass a vast realm of emotions, allowing the singer to convey the highest highs and deepest sorrows, he adds, "It shares numerous lyrical resemblances with ghazals. Moreover, it embraces the melodic scales commonly employed in ghazals, along with the evocative blue scale. The integration of blue scales into ghazals adds a truly captivating dimension. When I was crafting this genre, I felt compelled to assign it a distinctive name, and thus it became known as Urdu Blues."

Talk to him about the contemporary music landscape when artists often release an album but promote it as a single, and he says that by focusing on a single song, the costs are reduced, and the promotional efforts become more efficient.

"This approach has gained popularity due to the sheer volume of music being released in recent times."

The artist, who will be treating Nagpur audiences with his popular music as well as a diverse collection of ghazals spanning across genres, feels that like HCL, other corporate houses too need to come forward and constantly support the arts.

"I am glad that HCL gives a platform to classical and fusion genres," concludes Hariharan, who will soon be touring the US.