Her Voice Reached the Stars: The Indian Classical Singer NASA Chose for Voyager’s Golden Record

Long before India had satellites in space, one Indian singer had already earned a place on NASA’s most ambitious mission beyond our solar system. Her name was Kesarbai Kerkar.

Born in the small village of Keri in Goa, she rose to become one of India’s greatest Hindustani classical vocalists. After years of rigorous training under several maestros and 25 years learning from the legendary Alladiya Khan, she mastered the demanding Jaipur-Atrauli gharana style. Her brilliance earned her the title ‘Surshri’ from Rabindranath Tagore, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and the Padma Bhushan.

When NASA created the Golden Record for Voyager 1 in 1977, ethnomusicologist Robert E. Brown recommended her Raag Bhairavi recording ‘Jaat Kahan Ho’ as India’s contribution. Curated by astronomer Carl Sagan, the record featured masterpieces by Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart—Kesarbai’s was the only Indian song included.

Tragically, Kesarbai passed away in 1977, the same year Voyager 1 launched. She never knew her voice had begun its journey into deep space. Today, Voyager 1 is the most distant human-made object in existence, and nearly 50 years later, Kesarbai Kerkar’s voice is still travelling through interstellar space—carrying India’s legacy among the stars.

Article and image source: thebetterindia.com