Likhati » Darbari Kanada http://www.likhati.com Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:41:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.likhati.com http://www.likhati.com/wp-content/cbnet-favicon/182.JPG Likhati The American who sang South Indian classical music http://www.likhati.com/2009/03/25/the-american-who-sang-south-indian-classical-music/ http://www.likhati.com/2009/03/25/the-american-who-sang-south-indian-classical-music/#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:57:28 +0000 u http://punarjanman.wordpress.com/?p=2094 Jon Higgins the American who sang South Indian classical music, i.e. Carnatic music, and tragically lost his life in a hit and run accident, happens to be one of the first people whose music convinced my ears about the delights and depths of this form.

I came across him quite by chance, while searching for something else, and was dazed by his stately rendition of Endaro Mahanubhavulu and his slow, loving rendition of Krishna Nee Begane Baro (have blogged about the story of Higgins singing this outside the Udupi Krishna Temple, because he wasn’t allowed inside here,-the story has a happy ending).

Higgins’ rendition of Endaro Mahanubhavulu was also my first proper introduction to this kriti (a kriti is a type of musical composition peculiar to Carnatic music, with three movements); I had just started listening to Carnatic music seriously and didn’t know much about the famous five kritis, i.e. the pancharatna kritis of Tyagaraja.

I listened to the music without much analysis and without knowing a word of Telugu. The way Higgins sang Endaro Mahanubhavulu, he conveyed the strong impression that it was a composition about greatness (see a translation here). Of course, “mahanu” was a clue in that “mahaan” means great in other Indian languages, but it was the singing that conveyed the quality behind that word and the composition, which is about great souls.

Youtube, that wonder, has produced a video of Govardhana Giridhara, titled Govardhana Giridhari. I would have directed the video differently (in not quite so literal a manner) but then I am not the director, and in this case it’s the music that matters!

Apparently a few had criticised Higgins for his pronunciation. But the very slight indication of his origins in the way he pronounced the words and the accent of his singing voice, is what adds, in my firm opinion, beauty to his music. Fortunately, people other than his critics knew better, and he was given the title of “Bhagavatar.”

Also see: Kanakadasa and Udupi

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