Krishna Das in Berlin

Krishna Das is an American singer and harmonium player known for kirtan, the call-and-response singing of devotional mantras. Born Jeffrey Kagel in New York in 1947, he has recorded chants such as “Baba Hanuman” and “Mere Gurudev”; his albums include Breath of the Heart and the Grammy-nominated Live Ananda. In 1994, he began leading public kirtans in New York, then took the participatory format to theatres, retreat centres and yoga festivals internationally. His concert work reached the Grammy Awards in 2013, where he performed during the ceremony connected to the nomination for Live Ananda. His shows centre on his voice and harmonium, supported by percussion as the audience repeats each mantra. Spoken reflections on his teacher Neem Karoli Baba are also part of many appearances.