Three-Time Grammy Winner Calls for Saving Planet

 Hyderabad: Three-time Grammy winner and UN goodwill ambassador Ricky Kej underscored the importance of forests and the need to protect them.

In the city for a performance with his team over the weekend, the master composer praised the country’s forest officials for the manner they treat and care for animals. He specifically appreciated that Indian officials used tranquilisers while relocating injured and ferocious animals whereas in most other countries the animals were ‘put to sleep’.

Kej has come up with a touching video in which, through a song, he narrates a conflict between man and an elephant and why such a conflict had emerged in the first place.

The auditorium at a five-star hotel was jam-packed and the audience was left captivated by the renditions and the musical accompaniments that saw the enthusiastic crowd shake a leg, especially to the magic woven by percussionist Karthik Mani. Manoj George on the violin, Sharadha Ganesh and Sudhir Yadav on the vocals added verve to the two-hour musical journey, whose theme was on conserving Earth, saving the environment and the world.

Kej said he was wearing the same white suit for the 17th time and the same sherwani on 40 occasions as a sustainability measure. He called upon everyone not to become slaves to fashion and urged them to wear clothes more often.

“Rethink our relationship of what we wear and rethink our relationship with what we eat,” is his governing mantra.

Interacting with Deccan Chronicle, he said that he spreads awareness about the environment and the compelling need to save forests through music. “There are two types of musicians — one who goes with the trend to attract masses and the other who play from the mind and heart. I belong to the latter.”

Speaking about the song ‘Jai Kishan’, he said, “I celebrated with tribal farmers of Araku valley. These songs are three thousand years old. We retuned and came up with a new style.”

Retired IPS officer Aruna Bahuguna, who was at the concert, shared her experience.

“The visuals were outstanding, capturing wildlife, rivers, forests, mountains, dancers and tribals, while Sudheer’s ‘mast kalandar’ had the crowd getting up on their feet to dance along. It was music with a message to save the planet, showing compassion for other creatures and respecting wildlife and trees. Ricky Kej leads by example.” 

Ricky Kej leads by example while spreading ‘save nature and living beings’ message