In 2015, he won a Grammy at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards for his album "Winds of Samsara" in the Best New Age Album category.[8] The project, his 14th studio album, debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard New Age Albums Chart in August 2014,[9][10] a first for a person of Indian origin.[11] The album also peaked at No. 1 on the Zone Music Reporter Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart in the month of July 2014.[12]
Kej also performed keyboards on the 2016 Grammy-winning album Grace, produced and composed a song on the 2016 Grammy-nominated album Love Language and arranged and performed keyboards on the 2015 Grammy-nominated album Ayahuasca Dreams. His album Shanti Samsara – World Music for Environmental Consciousness was launched on 30 November 2015 at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French president, Francois Hollande.[14] In the months since its launch, Kej has traveled widely speaking about conservation and the environment, including a visit to the Republic of Kiribati, where he interviewed and created music with three-term ex-president, Anote Tong.[15] Kej is credited with over 3,500 placements for radio and television jingles.[16] He composed the music for the 2011 Cricket World Cup opening ceremony, held at Dhaka on 17 February 2011.[17] On 18 July 2016, he was awarded the Excellence and Leadership award as a global humanitarian artist at the United Nations Headquarters, New York and performed excerpts from Shanti Samsara live in the United Nations General Assembly Hall. Kej concluded his performance at the United Nations General Assembly by saying, "To end, I want to state the obvious ... Climate change is real ... Climate change is human induced. Climate change is affecting us all ... and our actions affect countries on the other side of the world."[18][19]
In 2018, Kej was named in the "Real Leaders 100 List". Real Leaders (a signatory to the United Nations) curates this list of leaders who 'Inspire the Future'.[20] He was the only representative from India. In May 2018, Kej was honoured by the House of Commons of Canada for "Outstanding Musical and Humanitarian Achievement".[21] In his endeavour to familiarise children with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he created My Earth Songs – 27 children's rhymes based on the 17 SDGs. These songs launched by UNICEF are published in over five million textbooks (English, Hindi and Kannada languages).[22]
Kej's life and journey as a musician are now taught to 7th-grade children in India as part of the ICSE syllabus English textbooks.[23] Kej is notably also a professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (at the Indian Institute of Science).[24]
While attending university he joined a progressive rock band which he says gave him a good foundation and exposure to music.[26] In an early interview, Kej's mother, Pammi Kej, has opined that her son's artistic genes were inherited from his grandfather Janaki Das, an actor, Olympic cyclist, and freedom fighter.[29] Kej does not look upon his degree in dentistry as an alternate career option, and notes that there are ups and downs in every occupation and there is no real need for a backup career.[28] He has revealed that his decision to follow a career in music was not an easy one for his parents to accept.[11]
Music career
Beginnings
Kej started off his career as the keyboardist of Bengaluru-based progressive rock band Angel Dust.[30] Two years into the band, he moved on to become a full-time composer and set up his own studio, Raveolution, in 2003. He eventually went on to create music for over 3,000 ad jingles and Kannada films. Though Kej's work is an amalgamation of multiple genres, he has maintained that the essence of his work retains the aesthetic of his Indian roots, largely based on Hindustani classical music and a bit of carnatic music. He has cited Pakistani qawwalNusrat Fateh Ali Khan and British vocalist Peter Gabriel as inspirations to constantly challenge and push his own musical boundaries. Kej is a self-taught musician but studied classical music at around the age of 24 to overcome what he observed as a handicap at the time.[31]
Shanti Orchestra
Kej had released 17 studio albums by 2013,[citation needed] most of which were released in the US but not in his home country of India. He has noted that this was on account of the poor music-buying culture in India and the dominant presence of the Hindi film music industry in the country.[30] Kej's 13th studio album, Shanti Orchestra, was released on 9 July 2013.[32] The album peaked at No. 3 in November 2013 on the ZMR Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart,[33] and was ranked No. 37 on the ZMR Top 100 Airplay Chart for 2013.[34] The album was nominated for a 2013 ZMR Music Award[35] and the track "Forever" from the album was also nominated for a Hollywood Music in Media (HMMA) Award in the same year.[36]
Winds of Samsara,[40] his 14th studio album and a collaboration with South African flautist Wouter Kellerman, was released on 15 July 2014 after being in production for two years.[30] Kej and Wouter Kellerman had built a bond over Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Kej has noted that given Mandela's admiration for Gandhi and Gandhi's years in South Africa, the duo believed it would make for an interesting cross cultural collaboration. The two pieces initially recorded evolved into several recordings and eventually the full album. The album featured about 50 instruments and 120 instrumentalists. The 'Samsara' in the album name has many meanings – the world around us, the world within us, family, ideals, etc. Winds was specifically chosen because of the album's flute-based style.[41] The album debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard New Age Albums Chart in August 2014,[9][10] a first for a person of Indian origin[11] and stayed in the top 10 for 12 weeks straight. The album also peaked at No. 1 on the Zone Music Reporter Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart in the month of July 2014,[12] and was ranked No. 3 on the ZMR Top 100 Airplay Chart for 2014.[42] On 5 December 2014 Kej and Kellerman were announced as nominees for a Grammy award in the Best New Age Album category.[8] One of the strongest contenders for the award was Grammy-winning Japanese artist Kitaro's Symphony Live in Istanbul, but the duo went on to eventually win the award on 8 February 2015.[43] Kej dedicated the award to non-film music composers in India.[44]
Shanti Samsara
On 30 November 2015, his album Shanti Samsara – World Music for Environmental Consciousness was launched at COP 21, the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[14] The prime minister personally presented French president François Hollande with a copy of the CD.[citation needed] A video featuring music from the album was also played for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the gathering of world leaders.[45]
The album was one of several projects discussed during a meeting Prime Minister Modi had with Kej following his Grammy win.[46] Kej found inspiration in Modi's concern for the environment and set out to specifically develop a project to express a message of environmental consciousness.[citation needed]
When completed, more than 300 actors, artists and musicians from around the world had contributed to the making of the album's 24 tracks and four music videos. These include:
artists and soloists from Vietnam, Korea and Senegal
the voice talents of Frances Fisher, Rosanna Arquette, Lindsay Wagner and a special message spoken by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe[45]
On 23 December 2015, Kej was invited to perform a song from Shanti Samsara in a special arrangement featuring over a hundred students from the Bishop Cotton Boys' School in a special performance for India's President Pranab Mukherjee.
Also in attendance were many state and national officials and an audience of nearly 13,000 people.[48]
In 2016 "Samsara" from Shanti Samsara received the December 2015 Global Music Awards Gold Medal for World Music – India,[49] and the International Acoustic Music Awards for Best Open/Acoustic Open Genre[50] and on 1 March 2016, he was named as a finalist in the 2015 in the World Music category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
My Earth Songs
In 2018, Kej released My Earth Songs, music for children on the environment and sustainability. This is a set of 27 songs, with each song based on a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal aimed to create awareness and inspire the younger generation to make a tangible positive impact in their lives and lives of people around them. Notably, Kej has released these songs in the public domain for completely non-commercial purposes.[51] Kej has teamed up with Macmillan Publishers to feature these songs in English language school textbooks from 2019. He has also partnered with UNICEF to spread these songs to children across the world and is working on translating them to several different Indian and global languages.[51] My Earth Songs was honoured at the UN SDG Action Awards in Bonn, Germany on 2 May 2019 for its outreach and impact.[52] The UN SDG Action Awards recognize outstanding achievements and innovative efforts to promote action on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Divine Tides
In June 2021, Kej released Divine Tides in collaboration with Stewart Copeland who is the founder of The Police. Notably, Kej and Stewart Copeland recorded this album in its entirety virtually over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic and only met in person later on. Featuring artists from around the world, Divine Tides garnered rave reviews and eventually won Kej his second Grammy Award for the Best New Age Album category at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards held in Las Vegas in April 2022. Kej also went on to win his third Grammy Award in February 2023 at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards for Divine Tides under the Best Immersive Audio Album category.
In August 2024, Kej released his new album Break of Dawn . Celebrated for its innovative blend of ancient Indian Raags, the album is designed to promote mental health and wellness, offering a deeply meditative listening experience that soothes the mind and uplifts the spirit. Nominated for the 67th Grammy Awards in the "Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album" category, Break of Dawn continues to garner international acclaim for its artistic and scientific significance.
Anti-piracy advocacy
Kej has been an advocate for stronger anti-piracy laws in India.[39] He has stated that there is very little done towards the protection of intellectual property right and with the rampant illegal downloading of music and films, there is a strong need to better project artists.[31]
Notable live performances
In June 2015, Kej was a featured artist and performer at the 11th ZMR Annual Music Awards and Gala Celebration in New Orleans, LA
In December 2015, Kej gave an exclusive performance for the President of India, Dr. Pranab Mukherjee at the Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bengaluru
In October 2017, Kej performed at the historic Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru with his ensemble of over 200 musicians from eight countries. In attendance were legislators, ministers, bureaucrats, and the president of the island nation of Kiribati, Anote Tong.
In January 2018, Kej delivered the finale performance at the RoundGlass Music Awards 2018 at Times Square, New York. The event saw Ringo Starr, BT, and Ronny Cox being honored.
In June 2018, Kej performed to thousands of people in front of the historic India Gate as a part of the Global Environment Day celebrations
In October 2018, Kej performed for the President of India, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Minister of Science & Technology for the Indian International Science Festival.
In October 2018, Kej performed for the Queen of Mysore and over 20,000 people at the historic Mysore Palace as a part of their annual Dussehra celebrations.
In December 2018, Kej performed at the annual Visakha Utsav in Andhra Pradesh on 28 December to over 88,000 people.
In February 2019, Kej was invited to perform at the Headquarters of the World Health Organization on 14 February in Geneva, Switzerland as a part of the launch of their "Make Listening Safe" initiative.
In March 2019, Kej performed to 3000 people for the launch of India’s first blue-chip natural history film – Wild Karnataka – for which he also composed the original background score, with the film being narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
In September 2019, Kej performed at the high-level COP14 summit in New Delhi to an audience of world leaders, high-level dignitaries. He was honored with the title of UNCCD Land Ambassador by Ibrahim Thiaw, the Executive Secretary of the UNCCD.
In September 2019, Kej performed multiple concerts in New York, notably at Central Park for the World Health Organization's Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge Campaign.
In October 2019, Kej performed at the launch of the United Nations Global Campaign on Sustainable Nitrogen Management in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
In December 2019, Kej was the headlining act in Vietnam for the Hozo Festival.
In January 2020, Kej headlined the Jaipur Literature Festival and he followed this with a live performance to over 20,000 people at Sirsi for Kadambotsava 2020.
In September 2020, Kej performed multiple virtual concerts at the United Nations General Assembly, including the closing of the high-level Biodiversity Conference. Several world leaders and prominent dignitaries were in attendance.
In May 2022, Kej was invited to open the Cannes Film Festival with a concert. This was the first time that the Cannes Film Festival opened with a music performance.
In December 2022, Kej headlined concerts at the "HOZO Festival" in Vietnam as well as the annual Serendipity Arts Festival in Panaji, Goa.
In February 2023, Kej performed at the G20 Summit in Bengaluru. In attendance were the Finance Ministers of all participating nations and several High-level delegates. In April 2023, Kej performed in Bhubaneshwar, India to over 6000 people for the Y20 Summit. In attendance were the Members of Parliament from all G20 Nations. In April 2023, Kej performed in Leh, India for the G20 Summit to celebrate India’s G20 Presidency. Ministers from all G20 Nations and several high-level delegates were present
In March 2023, Kej performed at the Historic Gateway of India in Mumbai to over 5000 people for “Mumbai Kaustubh”
In April 2023, Kej headlined the “Namaste France” festival in Paris at the La Seine Musicale to perform for an exclusive audience. This event celebrated 25 years of strategic partnership between India and France
In June 2023, Kej performed at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the UNCCD along with Senegalese singer Baaba Maal and Malian singer Inna Modja to launch their Her Land, Her Rights Campaign. Modja is also a Goodwill Amabassador. The performance was to raise the profile of the UNCCD's campaign to increase the ownership of land by women.[54]
In July 2023, Kej joined hands with the American India Foundation to perform a benefit concert at the historic Gotham Hall in New York. A record-breaking 3.1 million dollars was raised to support Skilling, Nutrition, Education, and Health to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in Education, Livelihoods, and Public Health
In July 2023, Kej performed at the launch of the World Rehabilitation Alliance in Geneva, at the WHO Headquarters.
In August 2023, Kej performed a sold-out concert at the Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi. This was a concert for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mission LiFe’ to inspire change and celebrate Mother Nature
In December 2023, Kej performed in Geneva at the prestigious UNHCRNansen Refugee Award Ceremony. Established in 1954, the UNCHR Nansen Refugee Award honors individuals, groups, and organizations who go above and beyond the call of duty to protect refugees, as well as internally displaced and stateless people[56]
In September 2024, Kej performed in pre antaragani, one of the biggest cultural fests in India, at IIT kanpur.
In October 2024, Kej took the stage at Falak, the cultural fest of Manipal Institute of Technology, Bengaluru.
Other work
In 2008 Kej received an advertising award at the One Show Awards, followed by a second advertising award at the Adfest Asia Awards in 2009.[57] In 2010, he was nominated for an award at the Cannes Film Festival for his jingle for Nike.[58] He was dubbed an "India Rules Artist" by TV channel VH1 in 2013.[59] Kej has appeared as a guest judge on many singing reality shows in India. Kej is a trustee and founding member of the Majolly Music Trust. Their main objectives are to raise the standards of music education in India and to set up a pension fund for old and infirm musicians who are no longer able to make a livelihood from musical performances and recordings.[60] In 2020, Kej was shortlisted as a finalist in two categories at the India Australia Business & Community Awards (IABCA).[61]
In 2020, Ricky collaborated with UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) to release the song "Shine Your Light". The song was a collaboration between Indian artists and refugee artists who were persecuted for their love of music. The song was performed in four different languages (English, Dari, Farsi, and Pashto) by 24 young refugee musicians living in India, inviting listeners to celebrate humanity, togetherness, and solidarity.
In 2022, on India’s 75th Independence Day, Ricky brought together 12 refugees from 4 nationalities to record a rendition of India’s national anthem as a tribute to India. In December, he was announced as a UNHCR "Goodwill Ambassador".
At the Asia Initiatives Gala in September 2022, Kej was also awarded with the prestigious "Ban Ki-Moon Award" by former Secretary General of United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon for this advocacy work.
Kej works closely with several wings of the United Nations. As a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador (UNCCD), Kej uses his massive celebrity status to raise awareness on issues such land degradation, desertification and drought. Notably, he has composed the official "Land Anthem" for the UNCCD and is a passionate advocate for their "Her Land, Her Rights" campaign to champion Gender Equality and Women's Land Rights.[62] Kej is a "High Profile Supporter of the two-time Nobel Peace-Prize Winning organization United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) and is involved in several of their campaign to protect refugees and other displaced peoples. Kej works closely with the World Health Organizations" "Make Listening Safe" initiative that aims to realize a world where people of all ages can enjoy recreational listening without risk to their hearing. Kej also works with UNICEF as a "Celebrity Supporter" to help protect children's rights.[63]
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^ abChoudhury, Prerna (December 2009). "Tuned to Pefection". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 30 November 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
^ abcdDeshpande, Disha (February 2015). "Who is Ricky Kej?". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
^ abPaul, Mathures (February 2015). "India's new age Grammy". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
^Fest, Indie Short (2 January 2019). "One With Earth Song". Indie Short Fest. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
^"Awards-2019". cinemagicfilmfestawards.homestead.com. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
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