Ricky Kej: Classical musicians have broken cultural barriers

Indian origin musician Ricky Kej bags second Grammy Award at Sunday’s gala for Divine Tides, with Stewart Copeland

Sunday’s Grammy win for Best New Age Album marked the second one for Indian composer Ricky Kej after 2015’s Winds of Samsara. Divine Tides, Kej’s collaborative work with American drummer Stewart Copeland, furthers his effort to spread the message of environmental conversation. “One song of the album creates awareness about the Himalayas, which has the kind of ecosystem that is not available anywhere else. Its protection is important. Another song is about biodiversity,” says Kej, adding that with his endeavour, he aims to establish that small actions can lead to noteworthy change. 

“Considering all the problems, like climate change, extinction, deforestation, poverty, [lack of] sanitation, and education of children’s rights, that we face, people believe that only the government, its bodies, or NGOs can effect change. We believe that we are not capable of making change with our small actions. This isn’t [true]. The changes that we make within our capacity [are important].” 

While he urges all artistes, including “dancers, sculptors, and painters” to use their art to further the message of environmental causes, he establishes that it is essential to create good quality work. “You may have the best message to share, but unless your [art] is good, it won’t reach enough people. I was fortunate to work with my childhood idol. His soundtracks have shaped my career. Working on this album has been the most enriching musical experience of my life.” 

Rubbing shoulders with the crème de la crème of the English and American music industries, Kej establishes a crucial point when highlighting how he has successfully promoted Indian culture across the globe. “Breaking cultural barriers [is essential]. Everybody says Bollywood music has broken cultural barriers, but it is only the Indian diaspora in places like New Jersey, and New Geneva, that attend a Bollywood concert, when it is held there. The artistes who have successfully broken barriers are musicians of Indian classical music. When you head for a Pandit Ravi Shankar concert, you could see that the diaspora attending his shows are a reflection of the demographics of the city itself. And this is also true for [other] classical music artistes.” 

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