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Grammy Awards 2023: Who is Ricky Kej? Indian music composer won his 3rd Grammy award this year

Ricky Kej's most recent album, Divine Tides, won a Grammy for Best Immersive Audio Album.

Grammy Awards 2023: Who is Ricky Kej? Indian music composer won his 3rd Grammy award this year vma
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First Published Feb 6, 2023, 9:26 AM IST

During the 65th Grammy Awards, Indian composer and producer Ricky Kej received a Grammy for his album Divine Tides. The record got nominated for Best Immersive Audio Album, with immersive producers Stewart Copeland, Kej, Herbert Waltl, and Eric Schilling receiving credit. Interestingly, this is his third Grammy award.

ALSO READ: Grammys 2023: Bengaluru-based music composer Ricky Kej wins his third Grammy

Who is Ricky Kej?

The three-time Grammy award-winning musician started his career in Bengaluru at a based progressive rock band Angel Dust. Two years into the band Angel Dust, Kej moved on to become a full-time composer and set up his own studio, Raveolution, in 2003. He eventually created music for over 3,000 ad jingles and Kannada films.

Grammy Awards 2023: Who is Ricky Kej? Indian music composer won his 3rd Grammy award this year vma

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, based on Hindustani classical music and a bit of carnatic music. We take a look at some of his memorable albums so far.

Shanti Orchestra: 

Kej's 13th studio album, Shanti Orchestra, was released on 9 July 2013. The album peaked at No. 3 in November 2013 on the ZMR Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart and was ranked No. 37 on the ZMR Top 100 Airplay Chart for 2013.

2 Unite All:

Kej produced a benefit album, 2 Unite All. The album featured Peter Gabriel aimed at urgent humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. The album also features Stewart Copeland, the drummer from the English rock band the Police, drummer Rick Allen of the English rock band Def Leppard, American rock band System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, and Grammy Award-winning opera singer Sasha Cooke.

Grammy Awards 2023: Who is Ricky Kej? Indian music composer won his 3rd Grammy award this year vma

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. The prime minister personally presented French president François Hollande with a copy of the CD. A video with music from the album got played for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the gathering of world leaders.

ALSO READ: Grammys 2023 Full Winners List: Adele to Beyoncé to India's Ricky Kej and more

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