US Embassy highlights Georgian folk song Chakrulo’s nearly 50-year journey through space

Nearly half a century after taking off into deep space, the legendary Georgian folk song Chakrulo continues its interstellar journey aboard NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft, said on Thursday the United States Embassy to Georgia.

On August 20, 1977, NASA launched Voyager 2 from the Cape Canaveral Space Center in Florida, carrying the iconic Golden Record - a time capsule designed to communicate the story of Earth to potential extraterrestrial civilizations.

Curated by a team of American researchers, the record features a collection of images, sounds, greetings, and musical compositions representing Earth’s diverse cultures. Among those carefully selected pieces was Chakrulo, an iconic example of traditional Georgian polyphonic singing.

“This record represented a message from Earth in the event that another civilization might one day discover it. Through the music, photos, and greetings recorded on it, the finder would be able to learn what the world was like from which the spacecraft was launched. Among the selections chosen by the American team was the Georgian song Chakrulo. Thus, unique Georgian polyphony became a part of humanity's shared message”, the Embassy said.