Krishna Nee Begane Baaro, the popular and beautiful Kannada composition in Yamuna Kalyani by Vyaasaraaya is a great favourite with many people, me included. It’s been sung by countless singers but very few are able to bring out its goosebump inducing qualities.

KS Chithra’s rendition is sweet and loved by many, but I don’t feel transported by it-there’s something too filmy and sentimental about the instrumentation.

The late ML Vasanthakumari’s raagam taanam pallavis are to die for, but her version seems too stacatto and soulless.

Jon Higgins, the American performer of Carnatic music, sang Krishna Nee in a leisurely, loving way, that I much prefer to faster paced versions. V Thiagarajan, a friend of Jon Higgins, apparently said this to SPAN magazine:

A party of musicians, Jon among them, went to Udipi to see the Krishna temple. The American wore a dhoti and a kurta as was his custom in Madras . . . but he was much too fair complexioned to be an Indian, and the priests would not let him enter the temple…. So Jon stood where Kanakadasa the untouchable had stood centuries ago, to catch a glimpse of the idol from a distance as best he could. His musician friends stood with him, refusing to go inside the temple if Jon was not allowed. Then it occurred to one of them to ask Jon to sing the famous song, “Krishna, nee begane baro,” a composition in Kannada…. When the air was filled with the vibrant melody of his splendid voice there was no keeping away the crowds that gathered around to hear him. The priests, astonished, begged the singer to come in, and what Kanakadasa could not achieve, the foreigner did.

Aside: This is a lovelys tory about Jon Higgins. Not so lovely is of course the attitude of the priests before he sang, nor the fact that Kanakadasa could not get in. End of aside.

(source: http://www.indiangyan.com/clinton/arts_festivals.htm)

Neyveli Santhanagopalan’s version is also leisurely, gentle and moving.

The slower versions may be considered boring by some, but they allow one to savour the compostion more.

KJ Yesudas, of the divine voice, unfortunately sounds as though he’s off to catch a train.

All these versions can be heard here.

Mahrajapuram Santhanam’s version is also on the same page.

In the meanwhile I keep looking for different versions…I’m sure everyone has their own favourite.

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