“Mehdi Hassan was my ruhani,” says singer Hariharan, using the Urdu word for spiritual guide. The 57-year-old singer will pay tribute to the legendary Pakistani singer, who passed away last month, in Abke Hum Bichade, a concert featuring some of Mehdi Hassan Khan’s most popular ghazals.

Hariharan was initially trained in Carnatic music under the tutelage of his mother Alamelu, but soon began training in Hindustani music as well. “I was inspired by Mehdi Hassan’s ghazals,” says Hariharan, who trained under Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. “He would often guide me,” he adds.