The Voyager Golden Record was etched with sounds from around the world, including the Indian classic Jaat Kahan Ho.
1977 was, in many ways, a year of significant events – its influence over culture and trends continues to this very day. It was the year Apple was incorporated by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, revolutionizing computing and ushering in the digital music revolution of the early 2000’s. It was also the year Star Wars was released, changing the way movies were made all over the world (Bollywood included).
Another significant event occurred that year, an event that was largely forgotten till recently. NASA launched the Voyager 1 on September 5, 1977, in order to study the outer Solar System. Last week, after 36 years, NASA reported that the Voyager had exited our solar system and entered interstellar space, becoming the first man-made object to do so. Included aboard the Voyager is a collection of sounds and songs from earth titled Murmurs of Earth. Called the “Voyager Golden Records,” it was included in case of a chance encounter of the Voyager with extraterrestrial form.
One of the songs in the collection is an Indian classical song called Jaat Kahan Ho sung by Surashri Kesarbai Kerkar in Raag Bhairavi. Jaat Kahan Ho is a poignant plea of a mother to her daughter urging her to give up her desire to venture out alone to play Holi with the masses, since the mother is afraid her daughter might get hurt. However, deep within, the mother knows the futility of her effort given that the daughter has come of age and will be leaving her soon. She is but performing her matriarchal duty of warning her daughter. The song in many ways symbolizes the Voyager’s lone journey into outer space.
We invite you to join us as we honor and celebrate all the legends who have influenced what Saavn stands for today, and the events of 1977 that bring us together this week. As we strive to bring you the best of Indian music wherever you may be, in this solar system or the next, we hope you enjoy Murmurs of Earth as much as we did, and as much as the extraterrestrials will.