Bangalore-Based Ricky Kej Bags Grammy for "Winds of Samsara"

[caption id="attachment_2282" align="aligncenter" width="597"] Image Credit: The Hindu | AP[/caption]

The 57th Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles had many winners from across the world. Amid them was a Bangalore-based musician, Ricky Kej, who bagged the Best New Age Album award for his collaborated album "Winds of Samsara" with South African musician Wouter Kellerman.

Besides Ricky Kej, another Indian, Neela Vaswani, bagged the Grammy Award for the Best Children's Album for "I am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World (Malala Yousufzai)."

Who Is Ricky Kej?

Ricky Kej is an Indian-American, half-Punjabi and half-Marwari, born in North Carolina, USA, and brought up in Bangalore, India. He returned to Bangalore, India at the age of eight and lived there since then. He pursued his secondary education from Bishop Cotton Boys' School and higher education from Oxford Dental College in Bangalore.

The fact that he had no formal training in music and is a self-taught musician makes the prestigious award even more prestigious. It is no mean feat to bag a Grammy just by pursuing your passion over the career or field of education.

Ricky's mother believes that he has got the artistic genes from his grandfather Janaki Das, who was an actor, Olympic Cyclist, and a freedom fighter.

Ricky Kej's Beginning

The journey of him learning music is quite an inspiration. Ricky started during his studies and juggled between the university and music studios every day. During the same period, he produced as many as 1,000 jingles for a number of clients and had given his career in dentistry a miss.

Considering the move, his parents were not much convinced of his choice, however, they supported him throughout. Today, Ricky Kej is a world-renowned musician making his family and India, particularly Indian music community, proud of his achievement.

He has more than 3,000 jingles and works with radio, television channels, and companies like Microsoft, Air India, Levis, and many more added to his credit.

Noted Works

• Created an official complication of Slumdog Millionaire song Jai Ho
• Composed music for 2011 Cricket World Cup opening ceremony held in Dhaka

Besides that, he has more than 13 albums to his credit, have composed Kannada Film Soundtracks, and many Featured Compilations.

Ricky Kej - Awards

• 57th Grammy Awards for "Winds of Samsara" (2015)
• Clio Awards - Advertising (2008)
• Adfest Asia - Advertising (2009)

Y-Axis congratulate both the Grammy winners Ricky Kej and Neela Vaswani on their achievement. They truly are global Indians. We wish them all the best for their future endeavors

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