Padma Shri Ricky Kej: Dentist-turned-artist who conquered the Grammys
What's the story
American-born Indian artist and environmentalist Ricky Kej was recently honored with the Padma Shri. This has added another feather to his hat which was already adored with three Grammy Awards. For Kej, the Padma Award is a "validation" of his career. He said he believes this honor "will act like an impetus to do better work and to keep rooting for the social and environmental causes that I make my music for." Here, we gather some lesser-known facts about Kej.
Career shift
Kej's journey from dentistry to music
Born in North Carolina to a Punjabi father and a Marwari mother, Kej moved to Bengaluru when he was eight. After finishing school, he studied dentistry at Oxford Dental College but didn't pursue it. He opted for his passion—music—instead, starting as a keyboardist for Bengaluru-based rock band Angel Dust before setting up his own studio two years later.
Environmental activism
Kej's contribution to environmental awareness through music
Notably, Kej has used his music to spread awareness about environmental issues. His album Shanti Samsara or World Music for Environmental Consciousness was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande in 2015. To teach kids about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he made My Earth Songs, a set of 27 children's rhymes based on the 17 SDGs.
Song inspiration
Kej's explanation behind naming a song 'Gandhi'
Kej's album, Divine Tides, features one of the tracks titled Gandhi which uniquely pairs visuals of frogs from India's Western Ghats with its melody. Explaining why he named one of his songs Gandhi, Kej once said, "We need to remember that our survival is integral to co-existence with the wild and with wildlife." This philosophy is in line with Mahatma Gandhi's belief that "The world has enough for everyone's needs, but not everyone's greed."
Industry stance
Kej's advocacy for anti-piracy laws in India
Kej has been a vocal advocate of anti-piracy laws in India. Speaking to Hindustan Times, he had expressed concerns over the culture of piracy in the country and held Bollywood accountable. He had said, "In India, there is a culture of piracy; no one wants to buy music. And I blame Bollywood for that. All they care about is their film and nothing about the artist who has composed the music for it."