JOIN USMusic composer Ricky Kej, in conversation with Shruthi Srinath, talks about his sphere of New Age music, which is capturing the fancies of people worldwide...
Ricky Kej says of his music, “I’d rather have a few people loving it, and a few hating it, than everybody agreeing on it being average.” Now the US Billboard shows the music producer/composer’s New Age music album (in collaboration with South Africa’s famous flautist Wouter Kellerman) Winds Of Samsara, right at the top of its list. The ZMR (Zone Music Reporter), which tracks and ranks New Age and instrumental music, has recorded the same results on its air play chart.
The tall, expressive 33-year-old who operates from a grand music studio in Bangalore, defines New Age music as “based on intentions, championing themes of peace, meditation, relaxation etc.” His previous albums, Ballads of Maya and Shanti Orchestra, as his latest one, do carry the theme of peace. But he sets right that, “I’m not naïve enough to assert that my music will bring world peace, it’s rather my musical expression of what things should be.”
Ah, so does he believe the world has become too violent a place? “No, there is much intolerance. Everyone has ideologies, but don’t give space for others’ beliefs. Personally, I’ve been an atheist for the longest time. This is an informed choice that I made after reading religious and philosophical books multiple times. I stand by the opinion that religious books were written a long time ago. But they don’t have updates, like scientific books. People don’t tend to take these words for the spirit of the passages, but literally. That causes intolerance. That’s not much progressive.”
Peace & music
So, Ricky Kej musically expresses what peace could be. He likens it to an orchestral performance, where varied instruments are harmonised with their sonic uniqueness intact, and “everything comes together so beautifully”. “It does good to pursue one’s own ideas and have an open mind to let others pursue theirs, basically. There should be a state of no war. Arguments are important, so are fights, not to bring about war, but for the progress of mankind,” he adds.
Ricky has collaborated with 120-odd music artistes across five continents over two years to shape Winds Of Samsara, a case in point of bringing in cultures together and showing they could get along globally.
He sees his presence in this genre as a musical graduation that allows the freedom to feature any musical instrument and idea from across the world. And he has graduated from composing music for a handful of Kannada films, like Ramesh Aravind-directed Accident, Venkata In Sankata and Crazy Kutumba. “The film industry is something that does not excite me anymore. I make music for creative satisfaction; and make a living out of it. Film music caters to somebody else’s sensibilities. It is not corporatised in a big way in India. You have conviction that your songs are good, but the deciding factor could rest on another person’s whims, sometimes.”
Feeling the need to express his sensibilities, and not of characters’ sensibilities in a film, he latched on to composing instrumental music. He has had Western classical music training, and learned Hindustani classical music from Prakash Sontakke.
Jingles tales
What keeps him on toes and has been an eye-opener is his experience of creating radio jingles and music for TV commercials, which he swears will continue to interest him... “Creating jingles lasts for two days, and it’s very corporatised. I have enjoyed meeting various clients. Your sensibilities are at work, always. It’s a workout — the more you do it, the more creative you get. More ideas bounce off you. It has stabilised my career. Feedback on your work for jingles is quite revealing of your capabilities. Because, when you are paid well, the clients don’t mince words; they either like it or they express their disapproval point blank. Of course, this is not personal. The experience of it all has aided me to develop a thick skin and understand criticism and feedback, because musicians can be sensitive. Naivety vanishes.”
Ricky is now busy with the promotion of his latest album, not so much in India as in the US, because he acknowledges the non-existent market for his genre of music here. Two channels, including radio and TV, condiser playing instrumental music, as opposed to 500-plus radio channels in the US. “It is important to have publicists and promoters, and chart out a marketing plan for establishing an album.” That’s his mind talking.
“Musicians seek validation. I love getting awards (of course, not by lobbying), air plays, I love my music as No #1 on the Billboard. The validation I seek is not only for music, but for my sensibility. It encourages me to create better music.” That is his heart singing.
He is an active promoter of education for musicians, sustained by the belief that a formal education leads to quality music. The lure of foreign films and human stories has made him a regular at Cannes Film Festival. The recently married singer (once called the most eligible bachelor in Bangalore by a magazine), loves to drive long distances with abundant music to last the entire journey.