Three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej praised music maestro AR Rahman and said that he has not only “personally given jobs to musicians in every genre” but also “built long lasting careers” for many.
Taking to his Instagram handle, he posted a picture with Rahman and wrote, “Just wanted to put it out there. No one in my opinion has done more for new talent, singers, instrumentalists, ensembles and for the general music landscape as much as Mr. @arrahman has.”
Kej added that Rahman has given jobs to musicians “in every genre in India”, “He has not only personally given jobs to musicians in every genre in India (contemporary, pop, folk, classical, western), but through his diverse compositions, he has made numerous musical styles thrive and built long lasting careers for many. He opened the door for musicians like me to have international audiences. It is sad that people attack him, just because he is a soft target. This really needs to stop.”
Talking about Kej, he first won a Grammy in 2015 for Winds of Samsara in the Best New Age category and later for Divine Tides, with Stewart Copeland, in 2022. In 2023, he and Copeland were honoured again for Divine Tides. He has secured his fourth Grammy nomination for ‘Break of Dawn’ in 2025.
In November last year, Kej, while speaking to ANI, described his album ‘Break of Dawn’ as his best work to date.
Sharing what went into the making of the album, he said, “This album, ‘Break of Dawn’, I believe, is my best work to date… I’m thrilled with this Grammy nomination… This album was entirely created by me. I’ve always been a lifelong environmentalist. The environment has always been on my mind when it comes to my music and my daily life.”-TIN Bureau