How else do you call a voice that rings the same feeling of awe in the entire length of the country? An endearing voice, matched only by an equally enterprising persona, Hariharan is arguably among the more versatile singers in the business today.

Was there a voice that so easily conveyed both the restless urge and endless wait for his lover like he did in Konja Naal Poru Thalaiva? Or did any voice brim with religious enlightenment, as his did with the prolonged Om in Kallai Mattum Kandaal, even last year?

Padmashri Hariharan was, in all fairness, a trendsetter. Which expert ghazal singer enthusiastically do a jig on stage to simply entertain his crowd? Who in our singers even attempted to do an album that would later be the first Indian act to be on MTV’s Unplugged that too ironically called Colonial Cousins?

After being the voice behind many a serial, including the title song of Jonoon, Hariharan entered the world of Kollywood by AR Rahman through “Tamizha Tamizha” in 'Roja'. The singer then worked for many musicians, from Illayaraja to GV Prakash Kumar, and was once a constant in Tamil films. In a record of sorts, in Vikram - starrer 'Kaasi', he even sang all the songs in the movie.

Here’s IndiaGlitz wishing the musician a happy birthday and a great year ahead as he awaits the launch of his 'Modhi Vilaiyadu', in which he, along with Leslie Lewis, have turned music directors!