The musical duo Leslee Lewis and Hariharan burst on the scene in 1996 with their debut self titled album ‘Colonial Cousins’, an album that had songs like Sa Ni Dha Pa and Krishna, in particular, that created a music buzz never seen before. The album went platinum in India and dominated the music charts. The outstanding blend of Indian and Western music generated a soulful melody and lyrics that won a million hearts. Everyone wanted to hear them and get the album.

After performing at a public event last year in Mumbai, the duo performed again for a nostalgic journey of their music at a concert titled Throwback with the Colonial Cousins at Dublin Square, Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla, on 1^st September 2024.

Verus Ferreira spoke to the lovable duo on their upcoming show, everything Colonial Cousins and also on what each is doing in their musical journey.

How does it feel to be performing together after your concert in Mumbai last year?

Leslee Lewis: It’s just the first public concert after a long time in India after the Kala Ghoda Festival. We also did another ticketed public gig in Singapore and have also been performing together for various corporate gigs.

Hariharan: It’s a coming together after about a few months or a year or so. Dublin Square is a nice place, a very happy place. I've done a couple of shows there, not colonial, the other ones, and we all have a very happy audience who come forward to have a great time in the evening. So we're looking forward to that.

How did the decision to have a Colonial Cousins show come about after such a long time?

Hariharan:It's like homecoming for me and Leslee. We do our own stuff. He's busy with his shows and I'm busy with mine. Colonial (Cousins) is always a special place in our hearts and we enjoy doing it. So there's no reason for it. I mean, the sounds have changed, the concepts have changed, but retro, as we call it, has got a place and it has a following. We need to think in those terms. We are definitely planning to come up with some singles so that this generation can hear some new songs. It will be easier for us too, for people to put us up in the shows. But I must say that the whole of the 90s, the crowd, the generation of 90s are with us.

So many would want to know how the name Colonial Cousins came about?

Hariharan: I was in London and I have a friend, Khusro. He mentioned to me that Londoners and he refer to each other as Colonial Cousins. When he said that, it rang a bell and I quickly rang up Leslee, and that was it, Colonial Cousins.

Going one step further, can you recall how the two of you actually met and formed the Colonial Cousins?

Leslee Lewis: I used to compose and produce most of the prime time commercials in India and Hari used to sing many of them. One day we were waiting for the script of the jingle to arrive. So we both performed an impromptu jam in the studio. Everyone sat on the floor and listened to this amazing jungalbandi and so we decided we should form a band and perform live. That’s how we formed Colonial Cousins. As Hari also mentioned, he had met his Parsi friend in London who said ‘his British friends and he called each other Colonial Cousins’. That was how the name came about.

Has age changed things in the way you perform musically as well as personally?

Leslee Lewis: Age has just made us more vintage, like old wine and this Throwback Concert just makes it feel like old wine in a new bottle, same taste, same musicality, same two guys, new vibe. 

Hariharan: Well, I think when we perform, we put our hearts and soul into it and we have enjoyed it. I think we have matured and that shows the way we render a song. It keeps changing. It's like old wine, I would say.

You've used folk fusion, Hindi pop to Carnatic, Hindustani, classical and rock to your music. Do you think this was the USP of the Colonial Cousins in the 90s?

Leslee Lewis: Absolutely. Due to this fusion element, some people were confused that we were a ‘Fusion group’, but in reality, it’s our songs that have cut across all audiences, from Sa Ni Dha Pa to Krishna to Kai Zhala, and the Fusion element is the signature.

Hariharan: We have used all kinds of genres, all languages, from Telugu, Tamil, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, English, Hindi, Urdu, so many things. So you have all the languages there and it's kind of a collage which we build. Nothing is preconceived. It's as we write the songs, these things happen, so it's a part of the way we work basically.

What are the most memorable moments you have of the bygone Colonial Cousins era?

Hariharan:We became household names and we rocked.  We have performed around the world in most of the prestigious auditoriums and in great company. We have a huge following throughout the world. I remember Leslee and I were connecting from the US to India via Heathrow airport (London) and this gentleman came up to us and said that he loved our music. We felt very happy. The high point was when we did MTV Unplugged in London and we had done that with Seal and one more big artist. It was a great experience doing that.

Leslee Lewis: I remember this one incident that happened when we were recording the Colonial Cousins album in London. Bjork was recording her MTV Unplugged album and we were asked if we would like to guest on her performance. I remember Hari saying, ‘Hum Log Apna Khud Ka MTV Unplugged Karenge.’ And as fate would have it, our MTV Unplugged created history.

What have been the core points of the relationship between the two of you that have kept you both together?

Leslee Lewis: The essence of music and two seriously connected souls.

Hariharan, you released two Ghazals albums and also did a lot of other work. Can you tell us what music you have been doing all these years?

Hariharan: On my personal front, I have come out with two Ghazal albums in these years and an album ‘Hazir’. I have also done an album with Farhad Shehzad which is going to be released this year. Besides that, there are a lot of concerts happening, just finished one last night at Aurangabad and heading to the next show at Amravati. I also recently recorded a song for a Marathi film, ‘Dharamveer 2’. So that’s keeping me busy.

Leslee, can you share something on what you have been working on?

Leslee: I have created music for so many artists over so many years, but now with Global Hindi I’m creating music for the artist Leslee Lewis. With Global Hindi I have created my own classic style of singing - song writing and lyric writing. So with Global Hindi – the Music is Global and the Songs are in Hindi.

As a duo you released albums like The Way We Do It (1998), Aatma (2001) (that had the song Kai Zhala) and Once More (2012). Why were there no more albums after this?

Hariharan: You know something, the music industry has changed. Music companies don't produce albums anymore. They don't create artists. 85 % they do versions of what they already have. They don't create music, they don't create new music, I don't know what the A &R people do. You tell me which is one big artist in this couple of years, except for people coming out of the film industry. There's nothing there in the non - filming business. So I think this question should be put to the music label rather than colonial cousins.

Leslee Lewis: That's because we both have been very busy with our personal musical careers. Of course, we would love to do a new single in the near future. So watch out and then probably we could do another concert to promote that single.

Do you think that Gen Z has caught on to the Colonial Cousins music?

Leslee Lewis: Yes GenZ is very aware of us and our music. I am, and have been, the Official Mascot for IIMUN (India International Movement to Unite Nations) for over 10 years for all under 16 age group kids. Sa- Ni Dha Pa and Krishna has always been high on their request list, even when performed earlier this month at their Annual Function in Amby Valley. Now with the Throwback Concert, I’m sure they will get to experience us, up close and personal.

Interviewed by Verus Ferreira