‘I would do a Bollywood song if it has a social message’
Three-time Grammy Award winner and composer Ricky Kej has been an environmentalist for years. As a part of his ideology on how music should reflect one’s social causes and beliefs, the artiste has created music about Kiribati, a nation that might sink due to climate change, among other causes. Ask if he ever wishes to compose music for a Hindi film and Kej says, “I love listening to Bollywood music. If I am asked to compose music for a Bollywood film that has a social message, is about conservation, or is in a thumri style, would absolutely do it.”
Talking about his favourite artistes in the industry, he shares, “I am a huge fan of Vishal-Sheykhar (composer duo Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravjiani). My favourites are Salim-Sulaiman (composer duo Salim and Sulaiman Merchant). The kind of music they have made over the decades is amazing. I also love Shankar-EhsaanLoy (composers Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa).”
The musician, who prefers contentment over popularity, adds that he doesn’t see making music for films as the only way to survive or thrive: “When people say that I should do films to gain popularity and increase the reach of my independent music — I don’t agree with that thought process. I like to create music that’s for myself and that represents what I stand for. It might have a niche audience, but a dedicated one. My songs might not get 300 million views on YouTube, but despite this, I get the satisfaction of making music what I love.”
The composer further shares that if at all he had to go mainstream, it would be ideal to sign a project that aligns with his ideas. “My dream project would be to do a mainstream film song that’s about a social cause, provided it is meaningful, and not just a commercial song with some miscellaneous cause sprinkled in between,” he explains.
As for his upcoming projects, Kej, who won his third Grammy last year for his album Divine Tides ,in collaboration with the legendary American musician Stewart Copeland, shares how he’s currently working with Copeland again for an orchestral album. “We recorded it in five days at the Abbey Road Studios in London, in January. It should be released by the end of 2024. I am also working on a mindfulness album that should be released in a couple of months,” he ends.