Grammy award ‘surreal’, ‘still can’t believe it’: Ricky Kej

February 09, 2015 06:56 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 11:09 am IST - Bengaluru

File photo of musician Ricky Kej at his studio in Bengaluru. File Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy.

File photo of musician Ricky Kej at his studio in Bengaluru. File Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy.

Bengalurean music composer Ricky Kej, who bagged the ‘Best New Age Album’ trophy at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards for the album “Winds of Samsara” on Sunday in Los Angeles, said getting the award has been “surreal”.

Speaking from Los Angeles, California after receiving the award on Sunday evening, Ricky Kej said, “Getting the award is an unattainable dream. I still can’t believe it”.

He said he believed he got the award for music that was “from the heart”. While music composers must create music for money, it is important for composers to create music where he can express himself.

Kej collaborated with South African musician Wouter Kellerman for the album, which symbolises peace and harmony.

In Bengaluru, Ramesh Aravind, film director, said, “I am delighted. It shows how frail borders are when it comes to talent and arts”.

He said he worked with Ricky Kej, with whom he got along instantly, in three Kannada films. The first film was “Accident”, which went on to win the annual award for sound effects.

Mr. Arvind admired him for his professionalism and described as “terrific” his commitment to his craft and recalled how Ricky Kej worked for “Accident” continuously through light and and night for 21 days.

That was followed by two more films, “Venkata in Sankata” and “Crazy Kutumba”.

Kej also worked in the world of advertisement providing voices in one-minute ads.

Mr. Ramesh said, “He is also a sparkling conversationalist and great company to have at the dinner table. I wish him and his wife Varsha all the best. This is a fantastic achievement”.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.