First appeared in www.scroll.in on May 2, 2015. Aficionados of Hindustani music would agree that vocalist Kesarbai Kerkar (1892-1977) was one of the most significant performers of the twentieth century. Kesarbai’s career began in the 1930s, and she soon rose to fame as a vocalist with a commanding presence on the musical firmament that lasted close to four decades. Originally from Keri village in Goa, Kesarbai Kerkar belonged to the devadasi tradition. She grew up listening to bhajans and