Kesarbai Kerkar (English: Kesarbai Kerkar, born- 13 July, 1892; died- 16 September, 1977) was a famous classical singer of India. She was a disciple of Ustad Alladia Khan, the founder of the Jaipur Gharana. It is also surprising that at the age of only eight years, Kesarbai Kerkar started learning music and started singing. Kesarbai Kerkar was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1969 by the Government of India in the field of art. Kesarbai Kerkar has another great achievement to her name. Her song titled ‘Jaat Kahan Ho…’ has been sent into space with the help of spacecraft Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.
Kesarbai Kerkar was born on July 13, 1892 in Keri village of Goa under the Portuguese. She is considered one of the founding artists of the modern style. Kesarbai Kerkar came with her family from Keri village of Ponda, a small taluka of Goa, to Kolhapur in Maharashtra. It was here that she began to recognize the notes and master their nuances under the tutelage of Ustad Karim Khan. After some time, she returned to her hometown Lamgaon and took further music lessons from singer Ramakrishnabuwa Vaje.[1]
This was the time when people from far-flung areas of India used to come to Bombay Presidency. At that time, Bombay had already established itself as a business centre. There were facilities here and it was also an important medium to spread one’s art to others. At the age of 16, Kesarbai Kerkar returned to Bombay with her uncle and mother. Impressed by her singing style, a local businessman of Bombay, Seth Vithaldas Dwarkadas, helped her in further studies. With this help, she received further education from Ustad Barkatullah Khan. She also learned other nuances of singing from Khan. Barkatullah was a great musician of Patiala state and was also a sitar player.
Barkatullah Khan taught Kesarbai Kerkar various aspects of music for two years. After this, her Guru became the greatest musician of Mysore state. Kesarbai also received music education from Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale. Kesarbai also received music education from Ustad Alladia Khan for about 11 years. He was one of the greatest Ustads of that era and was also the founder of the Jaipur Atrauli Gharana. Kesarbai Kerkar started as a professional singer in 1930. She remained associated with Ustad Alladia as a disciple till 1946. The Ustad passed away in 1946.
Kesarbai Kerkar established many dimensions for her coming generation. Later, Kishori Amonkar, Gangubai Hangal and Hirabai Barodkar took her singing style forward. Kesarbai Kerkar gave recordings for the world famous HMV of that time. She established herself as a Khayal singer.[1]
To give a distinct identity to Indian classical music, the Voyager 1 spacecraft sent by NASA in 1977 has a 12-inch gold-plated copper disc, which has songs from Beethoven to Bach to Mozart, which gives a glimpse of world cultural diversity. These songs have been carefully selected by American astronomer Carl Sagan. This album has been named ‘The Sounds of Earth’. In this, Hindustani classical music also has the voice of Hindustani singer Surashree Kesarbai Kerkar as an Indian voice.
Kesarbai Kerkar died on 16 September 1977.
