Mon, Feb 10, 2025 | Shaaban 11, 1446 | DXB ktweather icon0°C

'Music has the power to heal': Grammy-winner Ricky Kej

From dentist to master musician, how Kej marries Western and Indian influences to create new sound

Published: Thu 16 Jan 2025, 2:37 PM

Updated: Thu 16 Jan 2025, 2:49 PM

  • By
  • Anand Raj OK

Top Stories

It’s not often that a qualified dental surgeon grabs three Grammys — twice for Best New Album and once for Best Immersive Audio Album. (For the record, he has been nominated for his fourth Grammy this year for his splendid work Break of Dawn.) The good doctor has also performed with some of the most accomplished musicians including the legendary Stewart Copeland of The Police, Peter Gabriel, the original frontman of Genesis, Senegalese legend Baaba Maal, and pop sensation Bruno Mars, as well as solo at hundreds of venues in over 35 countries.

Grammys are not the only awards Kej has won for creating music; in fact, the list of awards he gathered over the years is an arm long. And growing. However, honours and accomplishments rest lightly on the broad shoulders of the 40-something US-born, Bengaluru resident. He guffaws loudly when I mention that he is making it a habit of winning Grammys every few years. But what do awards really mean to him?

“Awards are a validation. Some people say, 'Awards don’t matter', but they do to me,” says the musician in a video interview from his studio in Bengaluru on the eve of his visit to Dubai to perform with a team of artistes at Alpen Capital’s Global Fusion concert titled Rhythm, Unity & Peace.

A pair of microphones glued to his ears, he swivels in his chair while explaining further: “During the creative process, I wear a creative hat. It’s sacrosanct; I create music exactly how I want it, without thinking about awards. Once the music is finished and ready for release, I don my marketing hat and work on ensuring that as many people hear it.”

With the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi

With the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi

Kej doesn’t believe that the end goal is to win an award. “For me, an award is the beginning; it’s a platform to spread my message and music further and collaborate with dream artists. Awards should not dictate art; art is separate from awards.”

Born to Indian parents, both doctors in the US, it was but par for course that Ricky too would follow the medical profession. “My folks wanted me to,” he makes it clear. “My father is a third-generation doctor in his family and of course an Indian parent,’’ he says with a laugh. But right from junior school the aspiring musician knew that music was his career. “I was sure music was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” says the salt-and-pepper haired musician.

In 2023, Kej won his third Grammy for his album 'Divine Tides'

In 2023, Kej won his third Grammy for his album 'Divine Tides'

The musician who has worked on more than 3,000 ad jingles admits that his father “did think I was quite talented. But he always felt that I was going to take up a degree, and music was going to be a hobby.”

However, when Kej completed Grade 12 and informed his parents that he wanted to be a professional musician, they were aghast, insisting that he first earn a degree in medicine after which he could consider following his passions.

“So that’s why I did it. I finished my dentistry, but there was never an intention to practice, not even once.” The day he received his degree certificate, he handed it to his father and “started doing music full-time”.

So, what is the process of creating a piece of music? What inspires him?

“There are two ways to create a piece of music. One is when a piece is commissioned, like an advertising jingle or a film song. Someone gives you a brief, and based on their sensibilities, you make a bespoke piece of music for them,” he says. “This requires a lot of talent because you not only have to be a great composer, but also a psychiatrist. You have to dive into the mind of the person giving you the brief. Sometimes, the words they use don’t match what they’re thinking.”

With AR Rahman (centre)

With AR Rahman (centre)

He makes it clear that he has stopped doing commissioned work. “Now, I only create music based on my own sensibilities; things I want to convey, like mental health, human-elephant conflict, or climate change. I think about how best to express that through music. Sometimes it’s instrumental, based on emotion; other times, it has lyrics. I take my time and ensure the listener feels the emotions I’m trying to convey.”

What led him to create Winds of Samsara, an album that connects Gandhi and Mandela using themes of music and environmental conservation?

”It started as a piece about Gandhi,” explains Kej. “Over time, it grew into an album. Gandhi inspired me because he was ahead of his time- on sustainability, women's rights, and animal welfare. Later, I collaborated with Wouter Kellerman from South Africa, who was working on Mandela. Since Gandhi influenced Mandela, it made sense to bring these two figures together.”

Kej has also done a lot of work using music to foster healing, raise awareness about mental health issues as well as focus on environmental conservation and climate change. All these issues are interrelated, he believes. “There is this very important ancient philosophy in India which says that the impurities of the environment and the ecology are a direct reflection of the impurities of the mind. So if you want to solve the environmental crisis, you have to first purify the mind. I thought that was absolutely beautiful.”

In a world grappling with myriad challenges including climate change, gender inequality, poverty, and mental health crises, Ricky believes the solution lies in a simple yet profound idea: compassion. His vision for a better world is intricately woven into his music, a craft that balances Indian classical tradition with global harmonies and resonates across boundaries.

“It’s very obvious that all the solutions we have to climate change, social problems like gender inequality, and environmental issues like air pollution and plastics pollution require us to create a more compassionate society,” he asserts. “And the only way to foster that compassion is by taking care of mental health.”

This belief propelled Ricky to create Break of Dawn, a groundbreaking album that explores the relationship between music and mental health. Drawing on extensive research from institutions like Stanford University and The Lancet, his project aspires to revolutionise the way music is perceived and utilised in healthcare.

At a Paris gig

At a Paris gig

“Music is already being used as a therapeutic tool,” he explains. “But it’s not yet integrated into regulatory mechanisms like the Food and Drug Administration. That’s what we’re working on now: ensuring music can be prescribed by doctors alongside conventional treatments.”

Kej and his team are delving deep into the specifics — from the quality of music recordings to the ideal listening environments and delivery mechanisms. “Just like we have proper delivery systems for medicines or physiotherapy, we’re exploring what devices or settings are best for therapeutic music,” he says.

A hallmark of his music is its seamless fusion of Indian classical and global styles. “Indian classical music is all about improvisation within the frameworks of raagas,” he explains. “This makes it easy to blend with any traditional form, whether it’s African, Western, jazz, or Celtic.”

Yet, his creations remain undeniably Indian at heart. “It’s like an Indian chef making authentic pasta arrabbiata but adding a pinch of turmeric,” he laughs. “Even when I’m working with an orchestra, my thought process is influenced by Indian classical music.”

Ricky’s accolades are milestones in his career, but he sees them as more than mere recognition. “Awards are a validation and a platform,” he reflects. “They’re not an end goal but a beginning; an opportunity to spread my message, collaborate with dream artists, and reach a wider audience.”

In concert

In concert

This philosophy is exemplified in his collaboration with Stewart Copeland. Working on the Grammy-winning album Divine Tides was a transformative experience for Ricky. “Up until then, I was always in control of my music,” he recalls. “But with Stewart, I learned to embrace other perspectives. Sometimes we’re so attached to our ideas that we fail to see the value in others’ contributions. That experience changed me completely.”

As the only India-based artist nominated for the Grammys in 2025, Ricky’s journey is both inspiring and instructive. His ability to weave the universal language of music with pressing global issues has established him as a trailblazer in the industry. But for this musician, the journey is far from over.

“Music has the power to heal, to unite, and to inspire action,” he says. “If we can harness that power scientifically and compassionately, there’s no limit to the change we can create.”

ALSO READ:



Next Story