Thiruvananthapuram holds a special place in singer Hariharan's heart.
   His father, H. A. S. Mani, lived in this city before migrating to
   Bombay for a living. Young Hariharan used to spend his summer holidays
   in Thiruvananthapuram with his uncle.
   
   ``My father was among the first batch of graduates from the Swati
   Tirunal College of Music, where greats like G. N. Balasubramaniam and
   Harikesanellur Muthaiah Bhagavathar taught. As a child, father used to
   sing `kirtans' with T. K. Murthy now a well-known mridangam player
   accompanying him on a tin-drum. The duo had even displayed their
   talents before the then Maharaja of Travancore, Chithira Tirunal Bala
   Rama Varma,'' Hariharan says.
   
   The golden-voiced singer, who performed in Thiruvananthapuram
   recently, spoke about his chequered career and the contemporary film
   music scene. Excerpts:
   
   Q: How did you manage a smooth switchover from Carnatic to
   Hindustani music?
   
   A: I picked up Carnatic music from my mother, Alamelu. My parents
   were musically open-minded. I was encouraged to hear a lot of
   Hindustani music. Later, I trained under Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan
   during which I had to unlearn whatever I had imbibed earlier and adapt
   myself to the ``gamak-oriented'' style. When I embraced ghazals, I
   took extra care about my pronunciation. I put my heart and soul into
   learning Urdu.
   
   Q: Can you speak about your early interest in ghazals?
   
   A: It all began after I heard Mehdi Hassan in 1970. What a great
   singer! He could breathe passion even into the dullest lyric. His
   numbers, ``Patha Patha Poota Poota'' and ``Ab Ke Hum Bichade,'' are
   still on every lip. I also relished listening to Jagjit Singh
   (``Saamne Baite Use Log Bura Kahte Hain'') and Ghulam Ali (``Para
   Para,'' ``Tur Gayi Maayi'').``Ghazal'' means ``talking to the
   beloved.'' Originally, the songs were accompanied by the ``pakhawaj.''
   They had the ``thumri'' style of ``gayaki.''I like them because they
   offer immense scope for innovation. Classical techniques such as
   ``alaap'' and ``sargam'' can be employed while singing them. And they
   please both the connoisseur and the common man. Some of the finest
   film melodies by composers like Madan Mohan and Jaidev are in the
   ghazal format.
   
   Q: Was it not Jaidev who promoted you in the industry?
   
   A: Yes. I first met him at the All-India Sur Singar Competition in
   1977, of which he was a judge. Jagjit was another. I won a prize at
   the contest and Jaidevji offered me the chance to sing a number,
   ``Ajeeb Saane He Mujh Par Qurar,'' for the movie ``Gaman,'' directed
   by Muzaffar Ali. Under his baton, I also crooned for the movies,
   ``Raam Nagari'' and ``Khadi Ki Do Haat.'' He was my friend,
   philosopher and guide. His death a few years 0};3 ago came as a great
   shock. I miss him very much.
   
   Q: Who are your favourite singers?
   
   A: I like Mohammed Rafi for his versatility, Kishore Kumar for his
   liveliness, S. P. Balasubramaniam for his vocal power, K. J. Jesudas
   for his classical depth....
   
   Q: Your mentor Jaidev had offered some of his Hindustani-based songs,
   ``Chaand Akela'' and ``Koi Gata,'' to Jesudas. Do you think you, with
   your Hindustani background, could have sung them better had you been
   asked to?
   
   A: ``Chand Akela...'' (sings the first stanza of the song). The
   numbers would certainly have sounded different then. But I do not know
   whether they could have been better than the ones Jesudas rendered.
   There was a remarkable freshness about Jesudas's voice when he entered
   Hindi films in the Seventies. Few can excel him.
   
   Q: Do you feel contemporary ghazals tend to be repetitive?
   
   A: Yes. But don't they still have takers? Why do people prefer
   ghazals? You hear pop music at a party or when you are in an elated
   mood at home. But you can not hear it always. It's just like you can
   not always have exotic dishes. You have to return to ``idli'' or
   ``roti.''
   
   I am not saying that the Western mode should be avoided. It is part
   and parcel of our light music. The moment you mix a guitar chord into
   a folk or semi-classical song, the western element comes in. I am all
   for fusion music.
   
   Again, this is the age of video. With an eye on private television
   channels, every singer brings out visual presentations of his songs.
   It is a glamorous affair. But there is no other alternative to survive
   in the market.
   
   Q: You had been in the industry for almost 15 years. But you have sung
   only about 100 movie songs...
   
   A: I have worked under stalwarts like Jaidev, Naudhad Ali, Salil
   Chowdhury, Lakshmikant-Pyarelal, R. D. Burman and Usha Khanna. I have
   recorded duets with singers like Kishore Kumar, Jesudas, Lata
   Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle. Yet the industry never sat up and took
   notice of my work. It was only recently that I gained recognition
   through my work for the films, ``Dard Ke Rishte,'' ``Ram Nagri,''
   ``Zamana,'' ``Sindoor,'' ``Boxer,'' ``Lamhe,'' ``Sahibaan,'' ``Roja,''
   ``Darr,'' ``Rangeela,'' ``Jallad,'' ``Priyanka,'' ``Shikar,'' ``Kabhi
   Na Kabhi'' and ``Mritu Dand.'' Quite a few offers have come from Tamil
   films (``Love Birds,'' ``Asai,'' ``Mr. Romeo,'' ``Kalluri Vasal,''
   ``Coimbatore Mappilai'' and ``Indian'') and Malayalam (``Azhakiya
   Ravanan'').
   
   Before the film assigments poured in, I recorded ghazal albums such as
   ``Reflections,'' ``Ghazal Ka Mausam,'' ``Paigam,'' p73 ``Gulfam,''
   ``Sukoon,'' ``Aab-Shaar-E-Ghazal'' (with Asha Bhonsle), ``Horizon,''
   ``In Concert,'' ``Haazir'' (with tabla maestro Zakir Hussain) and a
   pop one with Kavita Krishnamurthy.My association with A. R. Rehman has
   been hugely successful. Songs like ``Tamizha Tamizha'' and ``Uyire
   Uyire'' were instant hits. Rahman is one of the music directors who
   has cut across all linguistic barriers. His music is enjoyed all over
   the country. How did he pull it off? He came at a time when the
   country's youth, who had started gyrating to songs on foreign music
   channels, were looking for something different from Indian composers.
   Our concept of light music has changed over the years. The new
   listeners demand stereophonic music with oodles of metallic sounds.
   Rahman has fulfilled this.
   
   Q: Wasn't Ilaiyaraja doing the same thing in some of his works?
   
   A: Ilaiyaraja's style is different. He has been heavily influenced by
   the classical compositions of Mozart and Bach. Rehman's mode, on the
   other hand, is more jazzy.
   
   Q: But hasn't Rehman been influenced by Ilaiyaraja, just as the latter
   had been by Salil Chowdhury?
   
   A: Rehman's approach to sound is vastly different from Ilaiyaraja's.
   Notice their string arrangements. You can spot the difference. Both
   are masters in their own rights.
   
   Q: Will the ``Rehman wave'' last long?
   
   A: I think it will, at least for another five years. Rahman knows his
   onions.
   
   Q: What are your future plans?
   
   A: Several new ghazal albums are on the cards. A pop album, ``Colonial
   Cousins,'' in which I partner Leslie Lewis, will be released soon. I
   have sung in English for this. I have plans to produce collections of
   ``geets'' and ``bhajans.'' Even though an extrovert, I am a deeply
   spiritual person.