Quick Info
| Profession | Singer |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Date of Birth | 31/05/1947 |
| Age | 78 years |
| Birthplace | Long Island, New York, U.S. |
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Bio/Wiki
| Birth Name | Jeffrey Kagel |
|---|---|
| Earned Names |
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| Food Habit | Vegetarian |
Physical Stats & More
| Eye Color | Moss Green |
|---|---|
| Hair Color | Salt & Pepper |
Educational Qualification(s)
| College/University | State University of New York |
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Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Married |
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| Wife/Spouse | Sharada Devi (kirtan singer) |
| Children |
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Family
| Father | KC Tewari |
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| Mother | Sylvia |
| Siblings |
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Career
| Genre | Kirtan |
|---|---|
| Instruments |
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| Overview | Krishna Das is a renowned singer and songwriter celebrated for his contributions to Kirtan, a form of devotional music. He achieved fame through his long-standing residency at the Jivamukti Yoga Center in New York City, where he offers Kirtan sessions that resonate deeply with followers of Eastern spirituality. His work includes founding Karuna/Triloka Records in 1990, known for producing world music and spiritual recordings, and collaborating with musical legends including Sting and Rick Rubin. He released his debut album One Track Heart in 1996 and has since released over 25 albums, CDs, DVDs, and spoken word recordings. His album Live Ananda was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best New Age album category in 2012, and he performed at the Grammy Awards in February 2013. |
| Key Milestones |
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Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. He grew up in a middle-class Jewish family on Long Island during the 1950s and 60s. | |
| 2. In his youth, he was an athlete and musician, influenced by Eastern spirituality. | |
| 3. He was briefly the lead singer of a band called Soft White Underbelly, which eventually became Blue Öyster Cult. | |
| 4. Before moving to India, he worked as a bus driver, sporting long hair and a beard while exploring spirituality. | |
| 5. Meeting Ram Dass at a young age ignited his spiritual journey and led him to meet his guru, Neem Karoli Baba. | |
| 6. Despite wanting to stay in India, he returned to the U.S. only to face the passing of his guru shortly thereafter. | |
| 7. He began offering Kirtan to reconnect with his spiritual roots and shared his music extensively, leading to his Grammy nomination. | |
| 8. In the mid-1990s, he reconnected with the teachings of Maharaji and devoted himself to singing and performing as a form of sacred communion. | |
| 9. He became vegetarian in 1967, before his initial journey to India. | |
| 10. His musical style distinctly blends Western chord progressions with traditional Sanskrit chants, often building from slow meditative tempos to high-paced catharsis. | |
| 11. He has performed and recorded variations of the Hanuman Chalisa, a 40-stanza Hindi devotional poem, as well as gospel songs including Jesus is on the Mainline and God is Real. |