Shankar and Hariharan set to create fusion & fireworks

It was the year 1992. A R Rahmanwas looking for a singer for his number Thamizha Thamizha for the movie Roja. After considering a number of singers, he flew down to Mumbai to sign Hariharan, who was well-known for his album, Hariharan in Concert, a collection of ghazals.

Legend has it that it was the first and last time Rahman sought out a singer. That song as rendered by Hariharan also become the patriotic core of the movie and overnight he was thrown into the limelight.

From 6pm on March 15, Coimbatoreans can lose themselves to the music of Hariharan who will appear live along with composer-singer Shankar Mahadevan in concert, a first for the city. Crowds can expect to be delighted with Shankar Mahadevan's vocal range too. He will perhaps be looking for opportunities to complement his co-singer.

Hariharan and Shankar Mahadevan have a lot in common. Both hail from Tamil-speaking Iyer families. While Hariharan was the first Indian act on MTV with his album Colonial Cousins. Shankar Mahadevan has composed music at a time when most of his audience is already hooked on to music from across the world. And, both have transcended the south and established a reputation for themselves up north. Both are regulars at awards functions including the national awards.

But it will be the southern flavour in the artists that will come to the fore at the Coimbatore concert. The city, which is a happy combination of the spiritual, the materialistic, entrepreneurship and education, will rock to the music of two of the country's peppiest stars.

Both Hariharan and Shankar Mahadevan said they have performed in Coimbatore before and they knew the crowds and the city very well. "We share a good rapport and expect to gel well," they said. "The line-up of the songs is a secret. We have to keep the element of surprise going," Hariharan said.

However, as the audience is a Tamil crowd, most of the songs will be in Tamil peppered with only a few songs in Hindi. "We expect a robust turnout," Shankar Mahadevan told The Times of India. The event will happen at VOC Grounds in Coimbatore. Comfortable seating arrangements have been made for everyone. Hassle-free parking arrangements too have been made. You can collect free passes for the event at The Times of India offices in Puliyakulam Road and Race Course Road.

Courtesy:indiatimes.com