Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej on Asianet News 'Samvad': I am a musician and an environmentalist'

Indian musician Ricky Kej, who has won the Grammy Award twice, the award is considered the most significant one in the world of music. His effort is to bring Indian music to the world without borders. Speaking on Asianet News's special interview program 'Samvad', he talked about his music career and the most outstanding achievement in his life. 

In the interview, Ricky spoke simultaneously about being a musician and an environmentalist. He also talked about his songs about animals, nature, love, travel and more. Ricky Kej also mentions that one can understand him by his music, "My music defines me as a person."

Ricky Kej also talked about the traditional musical art forms in India, besides classical music in India. The musician said he has been working with Baul music in Bengal and made a movie that took four years to complete. The film shows the life of Baul musician and leads the life of the 1,000-year-old tradition. When asked about choosing commercial music or his own passion, he said, "The only type or kind of music that I will put out is music that I am not embarrassed about, and the music that I feel comes truly from me."

Ricky Kej spoke about Indian music ragas; he said that Indian classical musicians are doing so much work in spreading the Indian culture and Indian tradition when it comes to music worldwide. They are also constantly breaking all cultural barriers. 

Who is Ricky Kej?
Bengaluru boy Ricky Kej picked up his second Grammy Award a few months back for Divine Tides, an album he collaborated on with Stewart Copeland, founder and drummer of the iconic rock band The Police. They won the Best New Age Album category at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

Ricky earned his first Grammy in 2015 for the Best New Age Album category with his album "Winds of Samsara."

Ricky Kej joins an exclusive club of Indian champions including Ravi Shankar, Zubin Mehta, Zakir Hussain, AR Rahman, and others with his second victory. The half-Punjabi, half-Marwari youngster was born in North Carolina in 1981 and has resided in Bengaluru since he was 8.

He attended Bishop Cotton School in Bengaluru before earning his dental degree from the same city's Oxford Dental College. In 2014, he wed Varsha, his girlfriend. 

His family was primarily composed of physicians. His father and grandparents were also physicians, and after earning his degree, he made the Faustian bargain with his middle-class parents to allow him to pursue music. According to his mother Pammi, his grandmother Janaki Das, an actress, Olympic cyclist, and freedom fighter, was the source of his creative proclivities.