Ricky Kej


Ram Gyan "Ricky" Kej is an Indian music composer, environmentalist, a three-time Grammy Award winner and a four-time Grammy nominee. Kej was conferred with a Padma Shri award India's fourth highest civilian award, in 2025 by the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu for his contributions to the Arts. He has performed at venues including at the United Nations headquarters in New York and Geneva. In October 2023, Kej was announced as a UN Goodwill Ambassador at the United Nations General Assembly by then President, Csaba Körösi.He was also awarded the Lokmat Sur Jyotsna National Music Award 2025 for his contribution to Indian music.
Kej is the Guinness World Record holder for the, achieved through the recording of 13,944 tribal children performing the Indian National Anthem. The record-setting initiative was officially recognized by Guinness World Records and stands among the largest mass-participation musical education events involving indigenous children.
Kej was also named a UNCCD Land Ambassador at the COP14 to raise public awareness about the challenges of land degradation, desertification and drought. Kej serves as a "High-Profile Supporter" of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNESCO - MGIEP Global Ambassador for Kindness, UNICEF Celebrity Supporter, and is an ambassador for the Earth Day Network. In 2020, Kej was named as a GQ Hero 2020 by GQ India magazine and in 2023, Kej was named as one of GQ India's "Man of the Year".
Kej is credited with over 3,500 placements for radio and television jingles. He composed the music for the 2011 Cricket World Cup opening ceremony, held at Dhaka on 17 February 2011. On 18 July 2016, he 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."

Early life and education

Ricky Kej was born in North Carolina on 5 August 1981. Half Punjabi and Marwari by birth, Kej grew up in North Carolina and moved to Bangalore, India when he was six years old and has lived there since. He completed his schooling at the Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore and subsequently dentistry from the Oxford Dental College in Bangalore. He did not pursue a career in the field and opted for a career in music instead. Kej holds two Doctorate Degrees from the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, Bubaneshwar and from Gitam University in Visakhapatnam, India. Kej's life and journey as a musician are now taught to 7th-grade children in India as part of the ICSE syllabus English textbooks. Kej is notably also a professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies and an Honorary Fellow at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and The Environment.
While attending university he joined a progressive rock band which he says gave him a good foundation and exposure to music. In an early interview, Kej's mother, Pammi Kej, has opined that her son's artistic genes were inherited from his grandfather Janaki Das, an actor, Olympic cyclist, and freedom fighter. Kej does not look upon his degree in dentistry as an alternate career option, and notes that there are ups and downs in every occupation and there is no real need for a backup career. He has revealed that his decision to follow a career in music was not an easy one for his parents to accept.

Music career

Beginnings

Kej started off his career as the keyboardist of Bengaluru-based progressive rock band Angel Dust. Two years into the band, he moved on to become a full-time composer and set up his own studio, Raveolution, in 2003. He eventually went on to create music for over 3,000 ad jingles and Kannada films. Though Kej's work is an amalgamation of multiple genres, he has maintained that the essence of his work retains the aesthetic of his Indian roots, largely based on Hindustani classical music and a bit of Karnataka music. He has cited Pakistani qawwal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and British vocalist Peter Gabriel as inspirations to constantly challenge and push his own musical boundaries. Kej is a self-taught musician but studied classical music at around the age of 24 to overcome what he observed as a handicap at the time.

''Shanti Orchestra''

Kej's 13th studio album, Shanti Orchestra, was released on 9 July 2013. The album peaked at No. 3 in November 2013 on the ZMR Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart, and was ranked No. 37 on the ZMR Top 100 Airplay Chart for 2013. The album was nominated for a 2013 ZMR Music Award and the track "Forever" from the album was also nominated for a Hollywood Music in Media Award in the same year.

''2 Unite All''

Kej produced a benefit album, 2 Unite All, with Peter Gabriel aimed at urgent humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. The album also features Stewart Copeland, drummer from the English rock band the Police, drummer Rick Allen of English rock band Def Leppard, American rock band System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, and Grammy Award-winning opera singer Sasha Cooke.

''Winds of Samsara''

Winds of Samsara, his 14th studio album and a collaboration with South African flautist Wouter Kellerman, was released on 15 July 2014 after being in production for two years. "The 'Samsara' in the album name has many meanings – the world around us, the world within us, family, ideals, etc. Winds was specifically chosen because of the album's flute-based style." The album debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard New Age Albums Chart in August 2014, a first for a person of Indian origin and stayed in the top 10 for 12 weeks straight. The album also peaked at No. 1 on the Zone Music Reporter Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart in the month of July 2014, and was ranked No. 3 on the ZMR Top 100 Airplay Chart for 2014. The album received the Grammy award for Best New Age Album in February 2015. Kej dedicated the award to non-film music composers in India.

''Shanti Samsara''

On 30 November 2015, Kej's album Shanti Samsara – World Music for Environmental Consciousness was launched on 30 November 2015 at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French president, Francois Hollande.The prime minister personally presented French president François Hollande with a copy of the CD. 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.. A video featuring music from the album was also played for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the gathering of world leaders.
The album was one of several projects discussed during a meeting Prime Minister Modi had with Kej following his Grammy win. Kej found inspiration in Modi's concern for the environment and set out to specifically develop a project to express a message of environmental consciousness.
When completed, more than 300 actors, artists and musicians from around the world had contributed to the making of the album's 24 tracks and four music videos. These include:
On 23 December 2015, Kej was invited to perform a song from Shanti Samsara in a special arrangement featuring over a hundred students from the Bishop Cotton Boys' School in a special performance for India's President Pranab Mukherjee.
Also in attendance were many state and national officials and an audience of nearly 13,000 people.
In 2016 "Samsara" from Shanti Samsara received the December 2015 Global Music Awards Gold Medal for World Music – India, and the International Acoustic Music Awards for Best Open/Acoustic Open Genre and on 1 March 2016, he was named as a finalist in the 2015 in the World Music category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

''My Earth Songs''

In 2018, Kej released My Earth Songs, music for children on the environment and sustainability. This is a set of 27 songs, with each song based on a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal aimed to create awareness and inspire the younger generation to make a tangible positive impact in their lives and lives of people around them. Notably, Kej has released these songs in the public domain for completely non-commercial purposes. Kej has teamed up with Macmillan Publishers to feature these songs in English language school textbooks from 2019. He has also partnered with UNICEF to spread these songs to children across the world and is working on translating them to several different Indian and global languages. My Earth Songs was honoured at the UN SDG Action Awards in Bonn, Germany on 2 May 2019 for its outreach and impact. The UN SDG Action Awards recognize outstanding achievements and innovative efforts to promote action on the Sustainable Development Goals. My Earth Songs has been featured in over seven million school textbooks across India as part of educational material promoting environmental awareness and sustainability among students.

''Divine Tides''

In June 2021, Kej released in collaboration with Stewart Copeland who is the founder of The Police. Notably, Kej and Stewart Copeland recorded this album in its entirety virtually over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and only met in person later on. Featuring artists from around the world, Divine Tides garnered rave reviews and eventually won Kej his second Grammy Award for the Best New Age Album category at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards held in Las Vegas in April 2022. This album was critically acclaimed by numerous news agencies such as Rolling Stone, Bloomberg, The Sunday Guardian, India Today among others.
In 2023, Ricky Kej won his third Grammy for his album "Divine Tides" at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in the Best Immersive Audio Album category, which took place in Los Angeles in February.

''Police - Beyond Borders''

After winning two Grammy Awards together, Kej and Stewart Copeland teamed up again to launch their album in August 2023. Featuring a reimagination of some of the most iconic songs of The Police with symphony orchestra in diverse global languages and traditional musical styles, this album featured global artists such as the frontman of System of a Down - Serj Tankian, Chinese superstar Cui Jian, Soweto Gospel Choir and Mzansi Youth Choir from South Africa, Indian singers and composers Shankar Mahadevan and Salim-Sulaiman, Berklee Indian Ensemble and many more.

''Rendition of the Indian National Anthem''

In August 2023, Kej released his rendition of the Indian National Anthem featuring over 100 musicians of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London to commemorate India's Independence Day. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios. This rendition was praised by several leaders of the Indian Government including Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharing it on their .d

''Break of Dawn''

In August 2024, Kej released his new album Break of Dawn. The album received a nomination at the 67th Grammy Awards for "Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album".Break of Dawn is inspired by ancient Indian classical raags and created with a focus on mental health and wellness. The album has been cited by academic institutions including Stanford Global Health and the Stanford School of BioDesign for its potential contribution to addressing the global burden of mental health conditions through music-based interventions. Its therapeutic applications are also being explored through clinical research collaborations in India, positioning the album at the intersection of traditional music, contemporary composition, and health-focused innovation. The album was released under Vedam Records, a wellness music label launched by Universal Music Group India in partnership with Kej.

''Gandhi - Mantras of Compassion''

In July 2025, Kej released Gandhi - Mantras of Compassion, created in collaboration with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi, Grammy Award-winning Japanese composer Masa Takumi and internationally acclaimed cellist Tina Guo as a musical tribute to the life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Conceived as a global collaboration, the album features contributions from over 200 musicians across more than 40 countries, and blends ancient Indian mantras, global musical traditions, and contemporary orchestration to reflect Gandhian ideals of nonviolence, peace, tolerance, environmental consciousness, and compassion.

Notable live performances

Other work

In 2008 Kej received an advertising award at the One Show Awards, followed by a second advertising award at the Adfest Asia Awards in 2009. In 2010, he was nominated for an award at the Cannes Film Festival for his jingle for Nike. He was dubbed an "India Rules Artist" by TV channel VH1 in 2013. Kej has appeared as a guest judge on many singing reality shows in India. Kej is a trustee and founding member of the . Their main objectives are to raise the standards of music education in India and to set up a pension fund for old and infirm musicians who are no longer able to make a livelihood from musical performances and recordings. In 2020, Kej was shortlisted as a finalist in two categories at the .
In 2018, Kej was named in the "Real Leaders 100 List". Real Leaders curates this list of leaders who 'Inspire the Future'. He was the only representative from India. In May 2018, Kej was honoured by the House of Commons of Canada for "Outstanding Musical and Humanitarian Achievement".
In 2020, Ricky collaborated with UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) to release the song "Shine Your Light". The song was a collaboration between Indian artists and refugee artists who were persecuted for their love of music. The song was performed in four different languages by 24 young refugee musicians living in India, inviting listeners to celebrate humanity, togetherness, and solidarity.
In 2022, on India's 75th Independence Day, Ricky brought together 12 refugees from 4 nationalities to record a rendition of India's national anthem as a tribute to India. In December, he was announced as a UNHCR "Goodwill Ambassador".
At the Asia Initiatives Gala in September 2022, Kej was also awarded with the prestigious "Ban Ki-Moon Award" by former Secretary General of United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon for this advocacy work.
Kej works closely with several wings of the United Nations. As a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, Kej uses his massive celebrity status to raise awareness on issues such land degradation, desertification and drought. Notably, he has composed the official "Land Anthem" for the UNCCD and is a passionate advocate for their "Her Land, Her Rights" campaign to champion Gender Equality and Women's Land Rights. Kej is a "High Profile Supporter of the two-time Nobel Peace-Prize Winning organization United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and is involved in several of their campaign to protect refugees and other displaced peoples. Kej works closely with the World Health Organizations" "Make Listening Safe" initiative that aims to realize a world where people of all ages can enjoy recreational listening without risk to their hearing. Kej also works with UNICEF as a "Celebrity Supporter" to help protect children's rights.

Discography

Featured compilations

  • Asha Waali Dhoop
  • Mumbai Spirit
  • Cafe Goa
  • Relaxation DAilleurs
  • Doosha Project
  • Hangzhou Lake
  • Indian Zen
  • Vox Del Taire
  • Chillout Bombay II
  • Chillout Lounge Classics
  • Dance the Golden Years
  • Bollywood Remixed
  • Masters of Fusion
  • Best of 2011–12 Fusion
  • Chillout Flute
  • Best of Fusion- Indian Spirit
  • Party Drums
  • Grace - Paul Avgerinos
  • Ayahuasca Dreams - Ciro Hurtado
  • Love Language - Wouter Kellerman
  • Symphonic Soweto - Wouter Kellerman, Soweto Gospel Choir
  • Ila - The Earth Symphony