Famed Indian fusion pop duo of Hariharan and Leslee Lewis are back on the public music scene with a special performance at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival on February 12, 2023. Singer-composer Hariharan and singer-composer as well as producer-guitarist Leslee Lewis are coming together again on stage in what both say is a nostalgic throwback to the 1990s.

Colonial Cousins are best known for songs like Krishna, Sa Ni Dha Pa and Indian Rain  among others from their 1996 self-titled album and though they have been performing privately through the years, this festival has provided the best platform to start this year returning to the concert stage.

Hariharan says, “We were actually itching to get together, because wherever we go, Leslee and I, are always questioned as to what’s with the Colonial Cousins?, Are you two together?” “Are you doing shows?” This was a kind of constant reminder to us that our fans were yearning to see us again’.

Leslee, on his part, says the show is going to be ‘a trip down memory lane, adding that there will be new set of younger audiences who will get exposed to our music by their parents who are fans of the duo. “There are a lot of younger people who haven’t experienced us and Mumbai is where our story began and hence I think the Kala Ghoda platform will be a space where we can truly experience the energy of the Mumbai audience.”

Although both have performed individually at this festival a few times, Colonial Cousins brings to the fore the original idea of fusion, rock, Indian Pop, Carnatic, Hindustani Classical and rock sensibilities alike with poignant  socially-conscious messages as one can hear on the song Krishna.

Even as the band went on to release albums like ‘Aatma’ in 2001 (with the song Kai Zhala becoming a new anthem and the album ‘Once More’ in 2012.

Colonial Cousins feel that they were among the artists who set the standard for a new sound in the nineties, something that Lewis says “percolated into many other people’s music.”

Their music continues to have a draw beyond any generational gap, as Lewis notes how he’s often tagged in their songs being remixed by fans on Instagram.  Hariharan adds, “There are a lot of youngsters who have started listening to the Colonial Cousins …What the music hits them with is the originality and a clarity of thought.”

The two joke that their band members have gotten younger since the time they started out, but once they get on stage together – like they will do this February – it’s almost like being taken back to 1996. “It’s back to the 1990s for us. We can’t quantify it, but the energy -it’s there,” Hariharan says.  “There’s a camaraderie that has been maintained from those days that reflects in our music . And I think that that’s really what keeps the essence of Colonial Cousins alive on stage.”

For all that deep talk, Lewis is happy to call Colonial a “rock n roll band,” something that evokes laughter from Hariharan as well. There are numerous concerts and a tour in the pipeline and Hariharan reveals that there’s new material as well. “We are coming up with one or two new singles. Watch out for that“.  

Colonial Cousins are famous for blending Indian classical music with contemporary western music and have won several awards including the prestigious ‘MTV Asia Viewer’s Choice Award , the US Billboard's Viewers' Choice Awards 1996.‘and the distinction of being the first Asian band to perform on MTV Unplugged in 1996, the year of their debut album.  

The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival will be held from February 4th to 12th, 2023 and will be spread over ten venues across the Kala Ghoda and Fort areas.