Ricky Kej's
Bio

“My passion is motivating people and creating positive social impact”

Grammy® Award Winner and US Billboard #1 artist Ricky Kej is an internationally renowned Indian Music Composer, Environmentalist and Professor.

Ricky Kej composed and produced his latest album ‘SHANTI SAMSARA’, which was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande in the presence of World Leaders at the United Nations COP21 Climate Change Conference in Paris. For Shanti Samsara, Ricky collaborated with over 500 musicians in over 40 countries, all coming together for Environmental Consciousness. Ricky went on to performing music from this album twice at the United Nations General Assembly, NY among other prestigious venues all over the world.

Ricky has been awarded the United Nations "Global Humanitarian Artist". Among other awards to his credit, he has also won Producer of the year at the South African Music Awards (S.Africa), Album of the year at the Zone Music Awards (New Orleans), Global Indian Music Award and Mirchi Music Awards (India), Centre for Conscious Creativity ‘FutureVision’ Award (Los Angeles). Ricky is also conferred with the title "Pride of Karnataka" and “Youth Icon of India".

Real Leaders, a Signatory to the United Nations has named Ricky Kej as one of the 100 Real Leaders who 'Inspire the Future' along side greats like Bill Gates, Leonardo Dicaprio, Angelina Jolie and others. The House of Commons, Parliament of Canada recently awarded Ricky for his "Outstanding Musical and Humanitarian Achievement".

Ricky Kej a Conservationist and Environmentalist, is a professor at the prestigious National Institute of advanced Studies (at the Indian Institute of Science) and an Ambassador to Earth Day Network.

Concert Photo Gallery

Ricky Kej has performed live in concerts to spectacular reviews from audiences around the world.
Click on the photos below to get a glimpse of Ricky Kej live in concert worldwide

Music Videos

Ricky Kej uses the powerful medium of visual communication to skillfully blend his music and visuals to make a powerful statement. Click below to watch Ricky Kej's music videos.

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SAMSARA - Song for Kiribati

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Love Divine

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Ganga

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Biodiversity National Anthem of India

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One Song (LIVE in Performance)

A Multicultural tribute to Nature
Performed LIVE at Vidhana Soudha and Bangalore Palace
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Ganga (LIVE in Performance)

A tribute to the river Ganga
Performed LIVE at the Bangalore Palace
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Love Divine (LIVE in Performance)

A tribute to the asiatic elephant

photo gallery

reviews

  • Shanti Samsara is an international gift of music to celebrate the unequalled gifts of mother nature - love this music - as you would your own mother.
    Author
    Tom Brokaw
    Legendary US News Anchor
  • Ricky Kej’s SHANTI SAMSARA is the sound of the nature, fusing many voices of our global musical ecosystem. From vocals originating in South Africa to the bamboo flute of India, this music is the soundtrack of Mother Nature. It is an echo of our environment, reminding us that the health of our planet is the most important gift to our children.
    Author
    Ambassador Andrew Young
    United States Ambassador to UN & Mayor of Atlanta
  • I thank Ricky Kej for lending his voice and joining in our campaign for the survival of our nation- Kiribati
    Author
    Anote Tong
    President of the Republic of Kiribati
  • Splendid musical tribute to mother Earth
    Author
    World Music Central
  • The contents of the album, the selection from Hindu Shashtras/Tradition certainly reflects Hindu vision of Divinity. I’m happy about the selections and we endorse the contents of the album.
    Author
    Swami Paramatmananda Saraswati
    Convener of Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha
  • Artists can play an important role in raising awareness... Shanti Samsara is an idea as beautiful as the planet they set out to celebrate and protect
    Author
    MacKenzie Bezos
    Award-Winning Novelist
  • In order to purify the environment we have to purify the mind. The eco-crisis impact is a reflection of the imbalance of the mind
    Author
    Sri Narendra Modi
    Hon’ble Prime Minister of India

Book Chapters

  • Birth of an idea
    Birth of an idea

    The meeting was originally scheduled for only ten minutes between the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, Ricky Kej and his wife, Varsha. ey were both invited to the Prime Minister’s o ce at 5 Janpath Road in New Delhi on September 7 2015 to congratulate the young composer on his GRAMMY® win for his album “Winds of Samsara”. What began as a simple courtesy call turned into an hour long philosophical exchange that resulted in this very album, “Shanti Samsara.”

    One of the topics that the Prime Minister touched upon was the environment and speci cal- ly the need to preserve and protect it. He spoke passionately about how humans must re-learn to treat the earth with respect in order to bequeath a healthier planet to our future generations. Modi’s embrace of the environment is rooted in his understanding of history in which ancient Indian societies lived in harmony with nature, not above or beyond it.

    He wanted to share this view with the world and con ded to Kej that he would do just that by delivering a speech at the COP 21, a landmark Climate Change conference organized by the United Nations in Paris in December 2015.

    Modi had an inspired message and in Kej - who is a long time conservationist, he found a talented and receptive messenger. It’s notable that they didn’t discuss speci c policy proposals or set forth with an activist agenda. Before you can alter someone’s actions, you must rst make them aware: ought is antecedent to action.

    “We looked at each other and decided – let’s make an uplifting album that inspires environmental consciousness”.

    Not only did they want to promote awareness of the environment in India but also around the world. Modi suggested that the album should emphasize inclusivity and incorporate di erent people and cultures. He even promised to launch the album at the upcoming globally-themed COP 21 (and he did just that, presenting it as a gift to François Hollande, the president of France on the main-stage).

  • Kiribati
    Kiribati

    In December 2015, negotiators from around the world gathered in Paris at the United Nations COP21 conference, aimed at creating a binding agreement for countries of the world to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions. Ricky Kej’s “Shanti Samsara: World Music for Environmental Consciousness” was launched at the conference by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande in the presence of dignitaries from around the world.

    One of the world leaders speaking at the plenary session was Anote Tong, three-time president of the endangered Pacific island nation of Kiribati, whose three minute speech called for bold action to address climate change. President Tong’s message to the conference could not have been clearer:

    “Give us a proposition that will guarantee that our people will remain above the water.”

    Kej has cited Tong’s speech as an inspiration for him to visit the gravely endangered archipelago and document what he saw there to raise global awareness of environmental issues. In April 2016, Kej and longtime collaborator, Sairam Sagiraju and his crew braved the nearly three days of ights and layovers to reach Kiribati from Bangalore. roughout, Sairam captured the desperate beauty of the sinking islands, with swooping drone shots. e visit concluded with Ricky being granted an opportunity to record an extended interview with President Tong.

    For millennia, the people of Kiribati have lived in an island paradise. But over the last several decades, rising sea levels have slowly eaten away at the country’s 313 square miles, and now the country’s 102,000 people face the prospect of becoming the world’s rst climate change refugees.

    “The land for the people of Kiribati is very much a part of our life” said Tong to Ricky Kej. “...for some communities, the time is over, they have had to move. ere are communities which I believe will have to move in 5 years and so the frequency will increase. e severity of what is happening will increase. We do not have any high ground to move to, so once it happens, it is going to be TOTAL.”

  • Ganga
    Ganga

    When seeking a suitable inspiration for water for “Shanti Samsara”, Ricky had only to look to the Ganga, and immerse himself in her ancient, healing waves.

    Beginning at its source high in the Himalayas, the mighty Ganga, ows for around 2,525 km before emptying to the Bay of Bengal. Known to her devotees as “Mother Ganga”, she is considered sacred and revered as goddess in Hindu mythology. e Gangetic plain is one of the most fertile areas on earth and almost 10% of the world’s population lives here. It is also home to some of the rarest creatures and species of India and the planet, including the Ganges River Dolphin, the critically endangered Gharial crocodile, the Barasinghas swamp deer and Royal Bengal Tigers. e Ganga is also one of the world’s most endangered rivers, as unchecked urbanization, industrialization and inadequate sewag treatment threatens her very existence.

    In realizing his vision for Ganga, Kej immediately thought of his long-time collaborator and friend, the award-winning lmmaker Sairam Sagiraju who had previously worked on the music videos for Ricky’s Grammy® winning album, “Winds of Samsara”. Together with his team, Sairam takes us on a magical journey as we follow the “Mother of All Rivers”from her source through the heart of India and marvel at her timeless beauty.

  • Human elephant Conflict
    Human elephant Conflict

    India has been synonymous with her majestic elephants since time immemorial. Ancient Indian writings speak about the beauty, loyalty and intelligence of this majestic creature. We still continue to worship them and cherish them.

    However, India’s elephants are facing a massive crisis. An exploding human population, unchecked urbanization along with rampant deforestation, human-elephant con ict has become one of the major challenges in the ght to save India’s endangered Elephants. With just an estimated 30,000 elephants left in the wild, there is a dire need for holistic solutions to be implemented.

    In January 2016, wildlife photographer Amoghavarsha and Ricky Kej travelled to the Bandipur Forest, 150 kms from his hometown, Bangalore. With the help of his colleagues, Amoghavarsha created a music video for the song ‘Kudrat’ from “Shanti Samsara” to showcase the beauty of the elephant, and the devastating e ects of Human-Elephant con icts.

    When we hear of man-elephant con ict and loss of life and property damage, most would agree that “capture” sounds like a logical and “humane” solution, but do we know the ultimate impact upon the animals? Is it really a solution and at what cost?

    All of us have to play our part in understanding the role that Elephants play in the web of our ecosystem. e sooner we understand, thesooner we will love, protect and conserve. Otherwise, elephants face the grave threat of extinction. Can you imagine an India without elephants?

  • Images of a warming planet
    Images of a warming planet

    Ashley Cooper is an award winning environmental photo journalist. In 2004 he decided to organise a speci c climate change photo shoot to Alaska to look at glacial retreat, permafrost melt and increasing forest res. As Ashley says, “I was blown away by how, in your face the impacts of climate change were in the Arctic, at a time when many people hadn’t even heard of the issue”. He returned and quickly started to organise another shoot, this time to look at the impacts of sea level rise on the tiny coral island nation of Tuvalu. is proved equally shocking and lead to Cooper formulating the idea of attempting to document the impacts of climate change and the rise of renewable energy on every continent on the planet. irteen years later this vision was achieved.

  • War against plastic
    War against plastic

    Developed in the 19thcentury, plastics slowly became a part of our everyday lives. From harmless looking disposable straws to plastic bags to bottles, theycomeineveryshapeandsizemouldedtocater to our needs. However, the world is slowly waking up to the monster that we have unleashed. Plastics take an extremely long time to degrade making it dangerous to our environment. Countries around the world carelessly dispose billions of tonnes of plastic in land lls, in our oceans, etc. When plastic waste enter our oceans, they break down into micro-plastics and this directly a ects the diet of marine creatures. Every other day, we witness photographs of birds, animals, sea creatures etc. succumbing to the menace of plastic pollution.

    Single-use disposable plastics are a major contributor to plastic pollution and we can all consciously and collectively decide to say no to this in our daily lives. Taking small steps such as not using plastic straws, using cloth bags as well as seeking alternatives to plastic is something that is concrete and immediately actionable.

    The theme for the World Environment Day celebrations – 2018 hosted by the Government of India and the United Nations in New Delhi in June was ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’. Ricky Kej was invited to perform at a dinner hosted by the United Nations Secretary General, Erik Solem and in front of the historic India Gate the following day to a massive audience of many thousands of people.

    Kej addressed the gathering throughout his performance and highlighted the urgency of nding a solution to plastic pollution. Both his concerts was very well received and the audience pledged to take a stand against plastic.

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Get In Touch

For bookings, enquiries or if you'd like to send Ricky a note, please use the contact details mentioned to get in touch.


1104, 13th Cross Rd, Eshwara Layout,
Indiranagar, Bengaluru,
Karnataka 560038

Email: music@rickykej.com
Phone: +91 9880448336, +91 7760497908

DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM SHANTI SAMSARA by RICKY KEJ