Ghazals have traditionally been associated with north Indians the likes of Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Anup Jalota and Peenaz Masani, who not only have a good grounding in Urdu, but speak and think in the language as well. So, when a south Indian brahmin called Hariharan burst on to the ghazal scene in 1977, many were taken by surprise.

He ought to have been producing Carnatic music or else belting out Tamil film numbers with the likes of S P Balasubramaniam and Yesudas. But Hariharan stuck to his ground.

Over almost 25 years he has created a body of work few Indian singers can rival. While other artistes came and went, this versatile impresario has been going from strength to strength, making up his own rules in music and setting standards for others to follow.

"I guess I was there in the right place and at the right time," said the singer. "Ghazals really started happening in India during the early 80s. By then I had already made a name for myself and people took to my brand of singing with ease."

Hariharan describes his style as a "fusion of gayeki, Urdu poetry and contemporary sounds". He has even coined the term "Urdu blues" to illustrate how his latest album, Kaash, was conceived a couple of months ago.

"I listened to a lot of rhythm and blues and found a lot of similarity in the singing of blues and ghazals," he said. "Otherwise it is a culmination of work with various artiste collaborations going on for more than a year. That is how Kaash happened." Ustad Rais Khan is featured on the sitar, Ustad Sultan Khan on the sarangi and Sivamani on tabla. With one complementing the other, Hariharan's silken voice weaves a splendid tapestry of sublime melody and profound meaning.

And yet the label of a "ghazal singer" makes him uncomfortable. "Learning the grammar of music does not restrict one to classical singing," said Hariharan. "So why do you want to slot me? I would rather be seen doing middle-of-the-road stuff."

This explains why Hariharan has made forays into English pop and is one half of the Colonial Cousins group with Leslie Lewis. The debut album was a smash hit, the second was a disaster ("It just didn't work out") and the third is being scheduled for this Christmas.

Hariharan has also been active on the concert circuit. He said: "I love extempore. I just take off! Once I sang in Indore no film songs, only ghazals, and an audience of more than 25,000 sat all night to hear me. The reception in smaller cities is much the same."

Despite his track record and an enviable fan following, Hariharan is not one to carry any starry airs. He is down to earth and makes no bones about calling producers for work, encouraging up-and-coming singers and doing the publicity rounds. "I am an artiste, he said. "Why should I shy away from doing whatever is necessary to popularise my art? An artiste must always think ahead of his time. "Only then will he be able to successfully enlist the participation of the younger generation in his music."

Hariharan added: "I am having a great time singing. What matters is that a singer must have a strong personality, especially on screen. Only then will people listen to him."

Does this make him feel any less a south Indian Brahmin today? "I have always lived by my own rules," he said. "Just as I sing for Ismail Durbar and Anu Malik, I also sing for many south Indian composers, including Illayaraja and A R Rahman. I see no conflict between the two streams of music."

He added: "The question that needs to be addressed is whether our present-day music composers are capable of ex ploiting the potential of singers. There are a few exceptions. For example, Rahman has made me sing some brilliant stuff."