Bengaluru, Aug 10 (PTI) There was a time when Bengaluru brought to mind Carnatic music and the beats of Dollu and Kamsale, the folk music tradition of Karnataka, but now every sound that there is, feels right at home in Bengaluru, three-time Grammy Award winning musician Ricky Kej said.
Kej launched his new rendition of the National Anthem featuring celebrated classical musicians of India in Bengaluru on August 9.
The new anthem, which the public can access from August 14 onwards, has also set a Guinness World Record because it featured nearly 14,000 students from the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences.
In Bengaluru, Kej was hosted by The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts for the launch. According to Anuraag Bhatnagar, chief operating officer of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, they had collaborated with Kej to celebrate a recent milestone achieved by the hotel by reinforcing its position among the top three World’s Best Hotel Brands for 2024 by the readers of Travel + Leisure USA.
Speaking to PTI after the launch, Kej said it was a no-brainer that the new rendition of the National Anthem would have “musicians who are at the absolute top of the game.” “I was hoping that they would say yes and I am fortunate that they agreed to work with me. For me it was very simple. I admire the music that they make and wanted to work with them,” added Kej.
The new version of the National Anthem will feature bansuri maestros Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Rakesh Chaurasia, santoor maestro Rahul Sharma, nadaswaram maestros Sheik Mahaboob Subhani and Kaleeshabi Mahaboob, sarod maestros Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, veena maestro Jayanthi Kumaresh and leading Carnatic percussionist Giridhar Udupa.
Kej insisted that as a musician, collaborating with others on projects aimed at creating positive social impact is what makes the musician in him happy.
“If I was doing something that was expected of me, I would be making commercial music. I would be making Bollywood music, maybe. But since I am doing what I want to, most of my music is about the environment and about creating positive social impact,” said Kej.
He said even after all these years what excites him is when different genres and different cultures come together through musical collaborations.
“I think that is a way to showcase that all of us are similar despite being seemingly different. Music is a beautiful way to bring people together. So that is what I try to do, not only showcase important messages that I want to put forth through music, but also to bring forth collaborations,” said Kej. PTI JR SS
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