Modi, Hollande launch Grammy winner Ricky Kej’s new album
The album on environmental consciousness features Sanskrit verses with spoken word by Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, Hollywood actor Frances Fisher and BAFTA award winner Rosanna Arquette.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande have launched Grammy-award winner Ricky Kej’s new music album at the Paris climate change conference. The album is titled Shanti Samsara and is described as world music for environmental consciousness.
The album features Sanskrit verses with spoken word by Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, Hollywood actor Frances Fisher and BAFTA award winner Rosanna Arquette. On his epic musical project, Ricky said the album was inspired by Modi whom he met in September.
“A heartfelt thanks to him for helping me channelise my creativity and art towards making a difference and for giving me perspective on what the world needs -- environmental consciousness,” Ricky said. “It feels like I have been a musician just so that I could see this day... to see my music hopefully make a small difference in this world.”
The album was released during International Solar Alliance (ISA) launch event and a video from the album was played for the gathering of world leaders, Ricky’s wife and manager Varsha Kej said.
“This album celebrates nature through different cultures around the world,” she said, adding that the album features over 300 musicians from across the globe including seven Grammy award winners, all coming together to create environmental consciousness.
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The album has country music legend Gary Nicholson, acclaimed Canadian singer Jennifer Gasoi and renowned South African flutist and Grammy winner Wouter Kellerman. The album also has Zulu verses by Grammy award winner Soweto Gospel Choir, Rumi verses and Turkish verses, Varsha said.
It has folk music from Algeria, Senegal and India, chants by the monks of the Sherab Ling Monastery and melodies by the famous ‘singing nun’ Ani Choying Drolma. It also features celebrated Asian musicians from China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea and the feted voices of India’s own Shankar Mahadevan and Hariharan, all blending into a harmony for environmental consciousness.