On 3rd April, at the 64th Grammy Awards, Ricky Kej won his second Grammy. An Indian composer, Ricky Kej’s album (alongside Stewart Copeland from the band The Police) Divine Tides won in the category of Best New Age Album. The category is defined as a sound that amalgamates Eastern and Latern influences and is a new blend of acoustic, electronic, jazzy, folky, etc. Divine Tides accomplishes that in a beautiful, rhythmic way with nostalgia and emotion intertwined with each song. Featuring various other artists from all over the world, especially Indian, the album is a blend of cultures. It starts with gentle soothing tones that will make you feel like you are standing in the mountains with the endless sky above and below you. Wonders of Life, the first track, truly makes you believe in life with soulful vocals with the sitar and flute to act as accompaniment. Pastoral India the fifth song on the track list again has beautiful vocals but has a faster, higher beat with the percussions that are tracked by an Indian classical-dance style music, with fast beats and western-influenced drums. Mother Earth, a perfect way to end an album, celebrates the life inside of us, has strong, dynamic vocals and is an uplifting end to the whole track list. The album celebrates all forms of life, especially the Southern Asian culture, and is a powerful and mesmerising celebration of music.
Shree Bhattacharyya is a student of English literature and Media Studies at Ashoka University.
Picture Credits: Spotify
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