Ricky Kej, India's Grammy hope, eyes fourth win
What's the story
Indian musician Ricky Kej has been nominated for his fourth Grammy Award in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category. His album Break of Dawn is the first solo artist nomination for an Indian since Pandit Ravi Shankar. In a statement to ANI, Kej expressed his hopes for a fourth win and shared the inspiration behind his nominated album. The 67th annual Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday (February 2) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Album inspiration
'Break of Dawn' is a new age album: Kej
Kej, who has previously bagged three Grammy Awards, is hoping for his fourth with this nomination. He reportedly said, "I've always believed our ancient Indian culture teaches us that the impurities of the environment are in direct relation to the impurities of the mind." "So in order to solve any issue we face as a species, we first have to purify our minds."
Album details
Kej's album aims to promote mental health and wellness
Kej further explained that Break of Dawn was created as a "catalyst to foster a more kind, compassionate, and environmentally conscious society through the power of music." Based on ancient Indian ragas, each song has been carefully crafted by Kej to advocate for mental health and wellness. "I'm very grateful for this honor of receiving my fourth Grammy nomination," he added.
Past achievements
Kej's previous Grammy wins and latest endeavor
Kej won his first Grammy Award in 2015 for the album Winds of Samsara, which was honored as that year's finest New Age recording. He won his second and third Grammy Awards in 2022 and 2023 respectively. His latest endeavor, Break of Dawn, has been lauded by Stanford Global Health for addressing the global burden of mental health conditions through India-rooted wellness music.