Long before India's space missions made history, a legendary Indian singer's voice became one of the first sounds sent into deep space by NASA, and it still echoes in the interstellar void. This is the story of Kesarbai Kerkar, a Hindustani classical singer whose rendition of 'Jaat Kahan Ho' in Raag Bhairavi was included in NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, carrying her music across the solar system. But Kesarbai's journey to stardom was not without challenges. Born in a small Goan village in 1892, she faced skepticism and criticism from patrons and connoisseurs, yet she persevered, eventually becoming a maestro with a three-octave vocal range. Her commitment to preserving the purity of classical music led her to refuse commercial recordings, focusing instead on live performances. Kesarbai's impact on Indian music was profound, and her voice continues to echo in the interstellar, a testament to the power of art to transcend boundaries and time. But what does this say about the role of art in space exploration? And what does it mean for the future of space and music?
