Ricky Kej

Ricky Kej

Ricky Kej (born 5 August 1981) is an Indian composer, music producer and Environmentalist. 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. The project, his 14th studio album, had made a debut at No. 1 on the US Billboard New Age Albums Chart in August 2014, a first for a person of Indian origin. The album also peaked at No. 1 on the Zone Music Reporter Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart in the month of July 2014. Ricky Kej was named a UNCCD Land Ambassador at the COP14 to raise public awareness about the challenges of land degradation, desertification and drought. Ricky Kej also serves as a UNICEF India Celebrity Supporter, UNESCO - MGIEP "Global Ambassador for Kindness" and is an Ambassador for the Earth Day Network.His album Shanti Samsara – World Music for Environmental Consciousness was launched on November 30, 2015 at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President, Francois Hollande. 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.Kej has previously composed the soundtrack for three feature films in the Kannada language, and is credited with over 3,000 placements for Radio and Television Jingles. He also composed the music for the 2011 Cricket World Cup opening ceremony, held at Dhakka on 17 February 2011. On April 26, 2016, Kej travelled to Jaipur, India where he was named as goodwill ambassador for Save the Children's new global campaign, Every Last Child. On July 18, 2016, Kej 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."Following his return to India, a gala live performance of Shanti Samsara was given at the Bangalore Palace on 23 July 2016, with many of the original artists performing. Shanti Samsara has earned prizes from the Global Music Awards, the International Acoustic Music Awards, and was a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.In 2018, Ricky was named in the prestigious "Real Leaders 100 List". Real Leaders (A Signatory to the United Nations) curates this list of leaders who 'Inspire the Future'. In May 2018, Kej was honoured by The House of Commons, Canada for "Outstanding Musical and Humanitarian Achievement". Ricky was the only representative from India. Ricky Kej's life and journey as a musician is now taught to 7th Grade children in India as part of the ICSE syllabus English textbooks. Ricky Kej is notably also a professor at the prestigious National Institute of Advanced Studies (at the Indian Institute of Science).

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