Colonial Cousins re-unite: Hariharan and Leslee Lewis on music, brotherhood and everything in between

As the musical duo comes together after a decade to perform on stage at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai, Hariharan and Leslee Lewis take us on a nostalgic rollercoaster ride of their careers — and personalities — that have been intertwined together for three decades and counting

As far as stories of friendships go, it’s hard to beat this one.

In 1992, a talented singer named Hariharan (who had burst into the mainstream spotlight with Thamizha Thamizha for A. R Rahman’s debut album in Mani Ratnam’s Roja) met another equally-gifted composer-producer Leslee Lewis to record a jingle for the latter. A couple of hours — and an extended jam session — later, began one of the greatest musical collaborations of our times as the duo hit it off and there was no looking back.

More than three decades later, there is a ridiculously easy and warm camaraderie that seeps through when the two are in conversation. A bromance born out of years of creating, laughing and crying together; years of travelling and taking the stage in tandem; experiencing both highs and lows; and making a mockery out of time as they continue to roll back the years in style.

Though it has been nearly 10 years since they performed together in public, the Colonial Cousins continue to be as close as ever, as intertwined as they were artistically when their self-titled debut album released in 1996 and songs like Krishna, Sa Ni Dha Pa and Indian Rain catapulted them to international fame. 

Described as the pioneers of original Indian fusion music, Hariharan and Leslee went on to release more albums such as Aatma and Once More, while performing across national and global concert venues. 

Now, talking to us over a Zoom call on their reunion at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival on February 12 — which promises to be a trip down memory lane — the duo remarks that it will be an experience to cherish both for old fans who grew up listening to them, and younger listeners yet to discover their music, while also hinting at more concerts and new music in the pipeline.

Excerpts from an exclusive interview: