Sunday, February 23, 2025

Ricky Kej: There is a change in how the industry looks at the music I create

Date:

Share post:


Music composer and environmentalist Ricky Kej, who recently got nominated for his fourth Grammy Award, says his perception towards music and its use as a catalyst to create an environment-conscious society has evolved over the years.

Ricky Kej
Ricky Kej

The composer, who is in the running for a Grammy in the Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album category for Break of Dawn, muses, “There is a change in a lot of things… in my own behaviour, for example. When I started off, I was a hardcore environmentalist. I always thought it is all-or-nothing, and people should stop doing this or that. I thought one should shame people into action. Later, I started having empathy and understood that I have to be realistic about this approach.”

Also read: Indian classical musicians get appreciated outside, not in India, says Grammy winner Ricky Kej

The 43-year-old, who won his first Grammy in 2015 for his album Winds of Samsara, adds, “There are only two kinds of problems — surviving and thriving.” Kej rues, “Climate change is more looked upon as a problem of thriving, which developed nations can take care of. India has immediate problems like hunger, malnutrition, gender inequality and air pollution.” Unless we address these immediate threats, we cannot take on other ones, he says, adding, “I started having a holistic view towards my music.”

As the youngest Indian to win a Grammy Award and only the fourth to receive the honour, the musician believes he has “grown up a lot” since then. “From the industry aspect, a change is there one hundred percent. They have realised music is very good as a medium. People started realising sometimes they want a little more from their music; they want this art form to give them something to think about,” he opines.

Break of Dawn, which is based on ancient Indian raags, seems to be a step in that direction. “For my recent album, a huge record label actually started another new label specifically for music like it. This is huge. And this is happening everywhere,” Kej ends.


LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

spot_img

Related articles

Archaeologists may have found second Thutmose II tomb

A British archaeologist believes his team may have found a second tomb in Egypt belonging to King...

Catholics Pray for Ailing Pope Francis at Sunday Mass

Roman Catholics worldwide prayed for Pope Francis, who is hospitalized in critical condition, at Mass on Sunday...

Bivol takes Beterbiev’s undisputed light-heavyweight world title | Boxing News

Dmitry Bivol defeats Artur Beterbiev in a split-points decision to claim light-heavyweight world title in Saudi Arabia.Russian...

India vs Pakistan Live Score, ICC Champions Trophy 2025: IND vs Pakistan once and cricket’s biggest rivalry returns

India vs Pakistan Live Score, ICC Champions Trophy 2025: This is Rohit Sharma vs. Mohammad Rizwan's biggest...