Yamuna Devi
Singer and essayist

Yamuna Devi

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Singer and essayist
Gender:
Female
Work field:
Birth:
1942
Death:
20 December 2011(Melbourne Beach, Brevard County, Florida, USA)
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Biography

Introduction

Yamuna Devi (also Yamunā Devī Dāsī; 19th May 1942–20th December 2011), born Joan Agnes Campanella in Butte, Montana was an American cookbook author, best known for her 1987 James Beard Foundation Award winning cookbook, Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking. She was also a senior member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)..

Devi was part of the early 1960s Beat Generation in North Beach, San Francisco before meeting A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in New York City in 1966; becoming an initiated disciple in 1967. In 1968, together with five other Hare Krishna followers, Yamuna flew to London to establish ISKCON in the United Kingdom. There, she helped introduce Beatles guitarist George Harrison to Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy and practice. Yamuna sang co-lead vocals on the 1969 Apple Records "Hare Krishna Mantra" single, which reached number 12 in the UK Chart. She also sang lead vocals on the 1970 Apple Records "Govinda" single, which reached number 23 in the UK Chart

From 1970 to 1974 she lived and travelled in India with Srila Prabhupada as part of the World Sankirtan Party

She has been cited as an inspiration by figures such as Jahnavi Harrison

Cookbooks

  • Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking (1987)
  • Yamuna's Table: Healthy Vegetarian Cuisine Inspired by the Flavors of India (1992)

Awards

Year Awards and Honors Book
1993 James Beard Foundation Award: International Yamuna's Table: Healthy Vegetarian Cuisine Inspired by the Flavors of India (1992)
1988 James Beard Foundation Award: Cookbook of the Year Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking (1987)
1988 James Beard Foundation Award: Asian Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking (1987)