Mumbai, India – In an industry often defined by fleeting collaborations and evolving trends, the enduring partnership of Hariharan and Leslee Lewis stands as a testament to the power of shared passion, mutual respect, and a profound friendship. Celebrating three decades of their musical journey, the iconic duo, famously known as the Colonial Cousins, recently sat down for an exclusive conversation, offering insights into their extraordinary bond, creative process, and their latest spiritual release – their 41st original song.
For Hariharan and Leslee Lewis, their connection transcends mere professional association; it’s an intuitive synergy that has consistently birthed captivating music. Their journey, which began with jingle collaborations, quickly evolved into a remarkable saga of artistic creation. Hariharan recounts the pivotal moment, “The biggest thing has always been our passion for music and the way we believe in each other. That’s really what brought us together and what has kept us together.” He vividly remembers a spontaneous jamming session in a studio that captivated onlookers, leading to the epiphany: “That’s when we looked at each other and realised, ‘Hey, this is what we should really be doing. We should be performing together.’ That was the beginning of everything.”
Thirty years and 40 songs later, the duo continues to find fresh inspiration in their collaboration. Hariharan emphasizes, “Thirty years, 40 songs later, we’re still discovering something new every time we create. That’s what makes this journey so special.” Leslee Lewis echoes this sentiment, highlighting how their early work on jingles, including iconic commercials like ‘Doodh Doodh’ and ‘Washing Powder Nirma,’ laid the groundwork for their musical understanding. “That’s where we really learnt to understand each other musically,” he explains.
Beyond the studio, their friendship is marked by a series of amusing coincidences that underscore their inexplicable connection. Leslee shares, “Once, while we were abroad, we both went shopping separately and ended up buying exactly the same black T-shirt from different shops. Another time, we both went to buy kurtas and landed up choosing the same fabric from the same shop! Nobody plans these things, they just happen. That’s how strangely connected we are.” This intuitive bond seamlessly translates into their creative process. “Even in music it’s exactly the same. I’ll sing a line, Hari will sing a line, and before you know it we’re completely in sync,” Leslee notes, adding, “Thirty years, 40 songs later, it still feels like two friends getting together and enjoying every single moment of making music.”
Like any creative partnership, their journey has included moments of creative friction. Hariharan recalls a particularly memorable disagreement during an overseas recording session. “I remember we were recording abroad and there was one particular section of a song that I was convinced I should sing. Leslee said, ‘No Hari, I think this part suits my voice. You sing the other section.’ I told him, ‘You’re the producer of the song, so you want to sing this part!’ We didn’t speak to each other for almost an entire day.” However, the strength of their bond lies in their ability to prioritize the music. Hariharan humbly recounts, “The same evening, I went to Leslee and told him, ‘What’s your problem?’ Leslee said, ‘I don’t have a problem.’ I said, ‘Okay, are you singing it?’ Then I went and recorded it. I came out, heard it and immediately told him, ‘Yaar… you’re right. This part belongs to your voice.’”
For Leslee, this incident perfectly encapsulates the essence of their collaboration. “That’s why I love Hari. He’s such an amazing musician and singer that he never thinks about himself or me first – he thinks about the song first. That moment says everything about our friendship. It was never about who sang more or who got the better line. It was always about asking, ‘What’s best for the song?’”
The duo, who revolutionized Indian fusion music as Colonial Cousins, firmly believes their deep musical connection is the bedrock of their unwavering bond. When questioned about the connection between their latest project and Colonial Cousins, Hariharan affirms, “Whenever Leslee and I come together, we’re Colonial Cousins. We may be doing our own individual work, but the moment we sit together, everything falls into place naturally. It feels like coming home.” He offered a tantalizing hint about their upcoming release: “I’ll leave everyone with just one clue about the new song… it’s spiritual.”
Leslee reinforces this sentiment, emphasizing the “soul cousin” nature of their relationship. “The important reason we’re still together is because we’re musically so connected. We really are cousins in that sense, actually, soul cousins. And we’ve never let anyone come between us. Not my family, not his family, not anyone. Whatever agreements or disagreements we’ve had, we’ve always sorted them out between the two of us. That’s why it works. We love each other.” He adds, “We each go away and do our own thing, but the moment we come together, it’s as though we’ve simply picked up from the exact moment we left off the last time. That’s the magic of Colonial Cousins.”
As Hariharan and Leslee Lewis celebrate their 41st original song, their journey continues to defy industry norms, proving that some partnerships are not merely collaborations, but enduring conversations between two souls intricately connected by the universal language of music. Their latest offering, a spiritual piece, once again bears the indelible stamp of the Colonial Cousins, leaving fans eagerly anticipating what new harmonies these “soul cousins” will weave next.
