Ricky Kej

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Ricky Kej
3-time Grammy(r) Award-winner, Ricky Kej.jpg
Ricky Kej with his three Grammy Awards
Background information
Birth nameRam Gyan Kej
Born (1981-08-05) 5 August 1981 (age 43)
North Carolina, United States
OccupationsMusic Composer, Songwriter, Record Producer
Years active2000–present
Website rickykej.com

Ram Gyan "Ricky" Kej (born 5 August 1981) is an Indian music composer and environmentalist and a three-time Grammy Award winner. [1] Kej has been nominated a fourth time at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for his album 'Break of Dawn'. He has performed at venues in over 35 countries including at the United Nations headquarters in New York and Geneva. [2] In October 2023, Kej was announced as a UN "Goodwill Ambassador" (UNCCD) at the United Nations General Assembly by then President, Csaba Körösi . [1]

Contents

Kej was also named a UNCCD Land Ambassador [3] at the COP14 to raise public awareness about the challenges of land degradation, desertification and drought. Kej serves as a "High-Profile Supporter" of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNESCO - MGIEP "Global Ambassador for Kindness", [4] UNICEF Celebrity Supporter, [5] and is an ambassador for the Earth Day Network. [6] In 2020, Kej was named as a GQ Hero 2020 by GQ magazine [7] and in 2023, Kej was declared as GQ "Man of the Year".

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]

In 2022, Ricky Kej won his second Grammy at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for his album "Divine Tides" in collaboration with Rock & Roll legend Stewart Copeland in the Best New Age Album category. This album was critically acclaimed by numerous news agencies such as Rolling Stone, Bloomberg, The Sunday Guardian, India Today among others.

In 2023, Ricky Kej won his third Grammy for his album "Divine Tides" at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in the Best Immersive Audio Album category, which took place in Los Angeles in February. [13]

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]

Ricky Kej was awarded Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in 2025. [25]

Early life and education

Ricky Kej was born in North Carolina on 5 August 1981. [26] Half Punjabi and Marwari by birth, [27] Kej grew up in North Carolina and moved to Bangalore, India when he was eight years old and has lived there since. [28] [11] He completed his schooling at the Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore and subsequently dentistry from the Oxford Dental College in Bangalore. He did not pursue a career in the field and opted for a career in music instead. [29] Kej holds two Doctorate Degrees (Doctor of Letters) from the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, Bubaneshwar and from Gitam University in Visakhapatnam, India

While attending university he joined a progressive rock band which he says gave him a good foundation and exposure to music. [27] 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. [30] 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. [29] 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. [31] 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 qawwal Nusrat 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. [32]

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. [31] Kej's 13th studio album, Shanti Orchestra, was released on 9 July 2013. [33] The album peaked at No. 3 in November 2013 on the ZMR Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart, [34] and was ranked No. 37 on the ZMR Top 100 Airplay Chart for 2013. [35] The album was nominated for a 2013 ZMR Music Award [36] and the track "Forever" from the album was also nominated for a Hollywood Music in Media (HMMA) Award in the same year. [37]

2 Unite All

Kej produced a benefit album, 2 Unite All, with Peter Gabriel [38] [39] aimed at urgent humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. The album also features Stewart Copeland, drummer from the English rock band the Police, drummer Rick Allen of English rock band Def Leppard, American rock band System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, and Grammy Award-winning opera singer Sasha Cooke. [31] [40]

Winds of Samsara

Winds of Samsara, [41] 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. [31] 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. [42] 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. [43] 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. [44] Kej dedicated the award to non-film music composers in India. [45]

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. [46] The album was one of several projects discussed during a meeting Prime Minister Modi had with Kej following his Grammy win. [47] 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:

Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi felicitates Ricky Kej after his Grammy(r) win Ricky Kej with Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.jpg
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi felicitates Ricky Kej after his Grammy® win

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. [49] In 2016 "Samsara" from Shanti Samsara received the December 2015 Global Music Awards Gold Medal for World Music – India, [50] and the International Acoustic Music Awards for Best Open/Acoustic Open Genre [51] 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. [52] 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. [52] My Earth Songs was honoured at the UN SDG Action Awards in Bonn, Germany on 2 May 2019 for its outreach and impact. [53] 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.

Police - Beyond Borders

After winning two Grammy Awards together, Kej and Stewart Copeland teamed up again to launch their album Police - Beyond Borders in August 2023. Featuring a reimagination of some of the most iconic songs of The Police with symphony orchestra in diverse global languages and traditional musical styles, this album featured global artists such as the frontman of System of a Down - Serj Tankian, Chinese superstar Cui Jian, Soweto Gospel Choir and Mzansi Youth Choir from South Africa, Indian singers and composers Shankar Mahadevan and Salim-Sulaiman, Berklee Indian Ensemble and many more.

Ricky Kej Conducting the 100-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London Ricky Kej Conducting the Royal Philharmonic at Abbey Road Studios.jpg
Ricky Kej Conducting the 100-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London

Rendition of the Indian National Anthem

In August 2023, Kej released his rendition of the Indian National Anthem featuring over 100 musicians of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London to commemorate India's Independence Day. Recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, Kej became the first ever Indian to conduct the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and this 100-piece orchestra is the largest ever to record India's National Anthem. This rendition was released to huge praise with several leaders of the Indian Government including Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharing it on their social media pages. [54]

Break of Dawn

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. [40] 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. [32]

Notable live performances

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. [58] In 2010, he was nominated for an award at the Cannes Film Festival for his jingle for Nike. [59] He was dubbed an "India Rules Artist" by TV channel VH1 in 2013. [60] 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. [61] In 2020, Kej was shortlisted as a finalist in two categories at the India Australia Business & Community Awards (IABCA). [62]

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. [63] 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. [64]

Awards

YearRecipientNominated workAwardResultRef.
2008Ricky KejJingle - TreesforFree.orgOne Show – AdvertisingWon [58]
2009Ricky KejJingle – Seventy mm Movie RentalsAdfest Asia Award – AdvertisingWon [58]
2010Ricky KejJingle – Nike Cannes Award – AdvertisingNominated [59]
2013Ricky KejShanti OrchestraZMR Music AwardNominated [36]
"Forever" from Shanti OrchestraHollywood Music in Media (HMMA) Award for Best New Age/ Ambient SongNominated [37]
2015Ricky Kej / Wouter Kellerman Winds of Samsara Grammy Award for Best New Age Album Won [8]
ZMR Award for Album of the YearWon [65]
ZMR Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental AlbumNominated [65]
ZMR Award for Best World AlbumWon [65]
South African Music Award for Best Producer of the YearWon [66]
"Mahatma" from Winds of SamsaraHollywood Music in Media (HMMA) Award for Best World SongNominated [67]
"New Earth Calling" from Winds of SamsaraHollywood Music in Media (HMMA) Award for Best New Age/ Ambient SongNominated [67]
Ricky Kej"Panasonic P81" (Panasonic P81)Hollywood Music in Media (HMMA) Award for Song/ Score – Commercial AdvertisementNominated [68]
Global Indian Music AwardSpecial Recognition for Global AchievementWon
Mirchi Music AwardBest International MusicianWon
Zee TV Kannada AwardGlobal Musician AwardWon
2016Ricky Kej"Samsara" from Shanti SamsaraGlobal Music Awards World Music – IndiaWon [50]
International Acoustic Music Awards for Best Open/Acoustic Open GenreWon [51]
"One Song" from Shanti SamsaraLos Angeles CineFestSemi-Finalist [69]
"Ganga" from Shanti SamsaraLos Angeles CineFestSemi-Finalist [69]
Radio One AwardYouth Star AwardWon
2017Ricky Kej"Ganga" from Shanti SamsaraBarcelona International Environmental Film Festival (FICMA)Won [70]
"Ganga" from Shanti SamsaraSUNCINEFinalist
Professional Achievement AwardRNRI AwardsWon
2018Ricky KejOutstanding Musical and Humanitarian achievementHouse of Commons of CanadaWon [71]
2019Ricky KejInterfaith Leadership AwardVishwa Shanto PadamWon
"One With Earth Song"17th Independent Music AwardsNominated [72]
My Earth SongsUN SDG Action AwardsFinalist [73]
"One With Earth Song"Indie Short FestFinalist [74]
"One With Earth Song"CineMagic Film FestivalWon
"One With Earth Song"Shahu International Film Festival (SIFF)Won
"One With Earth Song"Cult Critic Movie AwardsWon [75]
Breathe LifeShahu International Film Festival (SIFF)Won
Citizen Extraordinaire AwardRotary ClubWon
2020Ricky KejGQ HeroGQ MagazineWon [76]
Community Services Art and Culture AwardIndia Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA)Finalist
India Australia Impact AwardIndia Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA)Finalist
2022Ricky KejHonorary PhDKalinga Institute of Social Sciences.
Ricky KejShyam Munshi Lifetime Achievement AwardRotary Club of BombayWon
Ricky Kej"Green Influencer of the Year"Minister of Agriculture & Farmers WelfareWon
Ricky KejUnited Nations Refugee "Goodwill Ambassador"UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)Won
Ricky Kej"Excellence and Leadership Award" as a Global Humanitarian ArtistAwarded at United Nations General Assembly Hall, New YorkWon
Ricky Kej3-Star Civilian HonorAwarded by Air Marshal Manavendra SinghWon
Ricky KejBan-Ki-Moon AwardAwarded by former Secretary General of UN Ban-Ki-MoonWon
Ricky Kej / Stewart Copeland Divine Tides Grammy Award for Best New Age Album Won [77]
Ricky Kej / Stewart Copeland Divine Tides Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album Won
Ricky KejGlobal Peace AwardAwarded by Chisthy Foundation Ajmer SharifWon
2023Ricky KejUnited Nations "Goodwill Ambassador"UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification)Won
Ricky KejMost Stylish Music PersonalityHindustan Times Most Stylish 2023Won
Ricky KejGQ Man of the YearGQWon
2024Ricky KejBreak of DawnGrammy Nominee at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards Nominee

Discography

Albums

YearNameRecord Label
2024Break of DawnVedam, Universal Music, Verve Records
2023Aarambh (Abby V with Ricky Kej)Sufiscore
2023Police Beyond Borders (with Stewart Copeland)Kinetic Kollection Overseas Inc.
2021Divine Tides (with Stewart Copeland)Kinetic Kollection Overseas Inc.
2020Wild KarnatakaRicky Kej Records
Mann Mein AmanMerchant Records
My Earth SongsUniversal Music
EkBToS Productions
2018Shiva (Ricky Kej LIVE in India)Strumm Entertainment
2017Earth Love: Music for RelaxationRaveolution Studios
Epic Trailer MusicRaveolution Studios
2015Shanti Samsara – World Music for Environmental ConsciousnessZee Music
2014Winds of SamsaraListen 2 Africa
2013Ballad of MayaRicky Kej Records
Fiery Drums Volume 2EMI - Virgin
Shanti OrchestraRicky Kej Records
Kamasutra Lounge – The Deluxe EditionVarese Sarabande
2012Bollywood in the clubEMI - Virgin
Punjabi in the clubEMI - Virgin
Mesmerizing SantoorEMI - Virgin
2011Fiery Drums Volume 1EMI - Virgin
Urban Grooves South IndiaEMI - Virgin
Mesmerizing FluteEMI - Virgin
2008Kamasutra Lounge 2Universal Music
2007Kamasutra LoungeFree Spirit Records
2004Communicative ArtFree Spirit Records

Film soundtracks

YearFilmLanguageNote
2008 Accident Kannada
2009 Venkata in Sankata Kannada
2010 Crazy Kutumba Kannada
2019 Wild Karnataka English
2022Who Is BaulBengali
2023 Adrishya Jalakangal Malayalam
2023 MR-9 Bengali

See also

References

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  2. ↑ "WHO | First WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, 30 October – 1 November 2018". WHO. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "UNCCD Land Ambassadors | UNCCD". www.unccd.int. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  4. ↑ "Grammy Award winning musician and SDG champion Ricky Kej lends voice to #KindnessMatters". UNESCO MGIEP. Archived from the original on 3 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "Grammy winner Ricky Kej appointed UNICEF supporter for Telugu states". thenewsminute.com. 21 December 2018. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  6. ↑ "RENOWNED CONSERVATIONIST & GRAMMY ® AWARD WINNER RICKY KEJ BECOMES "AMBASSADOR OF EARTH DAY NETWORK, INDIA"". Earth Day. 13 March 2018. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  7. ↑ "GQ Heroes: Ricky Kej". GQ India. 19 October 2020. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
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  12. 1 2 "Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart". ZoneMusicReporter. July 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  13. ↑ admin (6 February 2023). "Ricky Kej, Indian Music composer based out of Bengaluru, has won his third Grammy Award for the album 'Divine Tides'". Mamaraazzi. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Narendra Modi & Francois Hollande launch Ricky Kej's music album in Paris". The Economic Times. 1 December 2015. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "Grammy Awardee Ricky Kej Visits Kiribati Archipelago". The Times of India. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
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  25. ↑ "Balakrishna, Ajith, Shekhar Kapur, Shobana honoured with Padma Bhushan, Arijit Singh, Ricky Kej conferred with Padma Shri". The Indian Express. 25 January 2025. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
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  29. 1 2 Choudhury, Prerna (December 2009). "Tuned to Perfection". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 30 November 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  30. ↑ Rodgers, Debbie (August 2004). "Young on the console". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 30 November 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  31. 1 2 3 4 Deshpande, Disha (February 2015). "Who is Ricky Kej?". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  32. 1 2 Aravind, Indulekha (February 2015). "India doesn't produce more Grammy winners because of Bollywood". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  33. ↑ "Ricky Kej – Shanti Orchestra". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 16 August 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  34. ↑ "ZMR Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart". ZoneMusicReporter. November 2013. Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  35. ↑ "ZMR Top 100 Airplay Chart for 2013". ZoneMusicReporter. Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  36. 1 2 Paul, Mathures (February 2015). "India's new age Grammy". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  37. 1 2 "2013 Music Genre Nominees". HMMA. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  38. ↑ "Grammy-Winning Artists, Rock Stars and Composers Join Forces in First US-Produced Benefit Album for Gaza Relief". 2uniteall.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  39. ↑ Robbins, Annie (7 November 2014). "All-star musicians come together to support Gaza with new album 2 Unite All". mondoweiss. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  40. 1 2 "Grammy Winner Ricky Kej Says India is Not the Primary Market For His Music". NDTV. February 2015. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  41. ↑ "Ricky Kej & Wouter Kellerman – Winds of Samsara". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  42. ↑ Christopher, Kavya (February 2015). "Grammy winner Ricky Kej returns home". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  43. ↑ "ZMR Top 100 Airplay Chart for 2014". ZoneMusicReporter. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  44. ↑ "Winds of Samsara' by Bengaluru-based composer Ricky Kej wins Grammy". Deccan Herald. February 2015. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  45. ↑ "Grammy-winning Indian musician Ricky Kej wants to work with Pharrell Williams and Hans Zimmer next". IBN Live. February 2015. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  46. 1 2 "Ricky Kej's New Music Album "Shanti Samsara – World Music for Environmental Consciousness" Launched at United Nations COP21". Kolly Star. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  47. ↑ PTI (7 September 2015). "Grammy winner Ricky Kej meets PM Narendra Modi". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  48. ↑ PTI (19 November 2015). "Grammy winner Ricky Kej teams up with Amitabh Bachchan for 'epic' project/". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  49. ↑ "President's Visit – 2015". Bishop Cotton Boys' School. 23 December 2015. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
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