Jon Higgins - Govardana Giridhari - Darbari Kanada

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Jon B. Higgins sings Govardana Giridhari in Raag Darbari Kanada.
Biography
Jon Borthwick Higgins (b. Andover, Massachusetts, September 18, 1939; died December 7, 1984) was an American musician, scholar, and teacher known principally for his rare skill as a non-Indian in the field of Carnatic music. He lived much of his student and professional life at Wesleyan University.

Born in Andover, Massachusetts, Higgins had his high school education at Phillips Academy, where his father taught English and his mother taught music for many years. He attended Wesleyan University and received all three of his degrees from there: a B.A. as a double major in Music and History in 1962, an M.A. in Musicology in 1964, and a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology in 1973.

He founded the Indian music studies program at York University in Toronto with Trichy Sankaran in 1971, and returned to Wesleyan in 1978 as a professor of music and Director of the Center for the Arts. He continually sought to strengthen the quality of Wesleyan's curriculum, and immersed himself in numerous cultural activities inside and beyond the university community. He also maintained a very deep relationship with his family.

Higgins was a singer of European and Western classical music. He is also recognized as the first non-Indian to perform South Indian classical Carnatic music at a high level of proficiency. He began his Indian music studies in Wesleyan courses taught by Robert E. Brown and T. Ranganathan, and was quickly captured by the subtle beauty of the art form. He decided to fully dedicate himself to learning the language of Carnatic music, and went to India on a Fulbright scholarship to learn from T. Viswanathan. Within a short period of time he performed to great acclaim at the Tyagaraja Aradhana, an important music festival in South India. He later continued his studies under the renowned dancer T. Balasaraswati, and wrote his dissertation on the dance music of bharatanatyam. Higgins returned to India as a Senior Research Fellow of the American Institute of Indian Studies. He continued to perform Carnatic music, recorded several albums, and due to his widely-recognized sensitivity was honored with the sobriquet "Bhagavatar" (scholarly musician). He was killed by a drunken hit-and-run motorist on December 7, 1984.[1]

Higgins was much appreciated by Indian connoisseurs.His rendition of "Endaro Mahanubhavulu Andariki Vandanamu ("My salutations to all the great people"), a famous kriti (song) by Thyagaraja (a great composer of Carnatic Music) was extraordinary considering the fact that it is a difficult kriti for even the people with knowledge of the language in which the kriti is composed (Telugu).

Other of Higgins' most famous renditions (available commercially / otherwise for listening on the Internet) include "Siva Siva Enarada," "Krishna Nee Begane," and "Kaa Vaa Vaa."

Although he mostly won the acceptance of the general Indian public during katcheris (concerts), which were usually crowded, there were always the critics of his times pointing out minor errors in pronunciation. Needless to say, these never deterred the master who went on to deliver quite a lot of katcheris broadcast on All India Radio, only to increase the fan population.

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[iseeking]

It is difficult to find fault with his diction.

[brundasg]

Kaligiyunte gada sung by him is such a soothing kirtana.

[danbrooklin]

I remember Jon singing jazz at Wesleyan many years ago. He was good at that too. But this is sublime. Thanks for posting.

[samjesus123]

Its very Hard know that a wonderful soul got misplaced in this world.

Now he is suffering in His eternal life.

He knew-ed that praises r to be to Christ.

It is very painful that He got diversified from the greatest LOVE showed by GOD to him..

The one who came into this world and died for His sins and rose again is Jesus whom Higgins forsaked.

Too bad for Him.

Hope His sins were forgiven in God's eternal place.

The word of GOD fulfills in such a way tat my own ppl will forsake me.

Plz repent.

[mammadu91]

John B.Higgins is one such scholar words of any language aren't sufficient to praise him. no fault in diction,ragam,sruti anything. Proud be born in an music family. My grandfather and uncle are Mridingam artisits and uncle works for All india radio as A+ artisti. Carnatic music is a medicine , it soothes any person with any mental stress. and such singers add their voice and do magic :D

[shekarman]

Wow! What sublime beauty - transformed to the imaginary world of Dwaraka.

[ramchama]

Rita are you related to Higgins bhagavatar?

My late father was a big fan of him and I have heard stories.

May god bless you.

Ram Swaminathan.

[karelacafe]

RIP JON HIGGINS a great soul

[SIVARAMSURESH]

@visweshwaranr

Thank you Sir, I forgot to mention, My Music Guru, the most respected Trichy N. Natarajan Sir, is also a rasikar of this Great Man.

Regards,

S.Suresh.

[SIVARAMSURESH]

@aasuma Respected user, Endharo Mahanubhavulu is available right here in this page. Look on the right hand side.

Regards,

S.Suresh.

[visweshwaranr]

Similar to Mr.Suresh, my father was an excellent music lover and he would often remark the purva janma punjam of Higgins Bhagavathar to have mastered our music and sining tehm without any flaw. I love him too. Fate is very cruel taht it took such a great artiste away from us at a very very tender age. Really tears flow from my eyes to see we missed such a great person from our midst. He shoudl have directly got to swarga - I have no doubt about that.

[drsri]

Enthralled by his voice and the rendition.

Divine!