Mumbai, July 25 (IANS) Music composer Leslee Lewis and veteran playback singer Hariharan have reacted to PM Modi’s diplomatic gift of their album ‘Colonial Cousins’ to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The two spoke with IANS in the city recently, and spoke about the timeless nature of the album. Leslee Lewis said, “I just said, what is this? This is the most amazing piece of music. We just did it because we loved it because your music has become the fabric of Indian culture. Because if your Prime Minister, as a country, is giving it to another country as a gift, it means our culture is giving it to him”.
The album brought together Hariharan and Leslie Lewis, blending Indian classical music with Western pop, rock and acoustic influences to create a distinctive sound that resonated with audiences across generations.
Hariharan said, “I mean, for it to be so relevant, even today, after 30 years, you know, that gives you a real boost”.
During his official visit to Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with a curated selection of gifts celebrating India’s rich cultural legacy, artistic traditions and agricultural excellence. Apart from the vinyl edition of the album, PM Modi also gifted an Indian Premium Coffee Box, highlighting the diversity of coffee cultivated across the country’s leading coffee-growing regions. It includes carefully chosen varieties with distinctive flavour profiles shaped by variations in geography, altitude and processing techniques, such as washed, natural and honey methods.
The collection represents the progress of India’s coffee industry, underscoring its increasing focus on quality, sustainability and value addition. It also honours the efforts of Indian coffee growers, processors and roasters in crafting premium coffees while encouraging environmentally responsible and sustainable cultivation practices.
–IANS
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