Ricky Kej Urges Greater Appreciation for Indian Classical Musicians

Three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej highlights the lack of recognition Indian classical musicians receive domestically despite their international success. He underscores their global influence and collaborations, advocating for more domestic support. Kej also shares his recent projects and calls out issues like airline service downgrades to raise awareness.

Three-time Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej has expressed concerns over the lack of recognition Indian classical musicians receive within their home country, despite their global success. Kej pointed out the widespread appreciation they enjoy abroad, in stark contrast to the minimal attention within India.

Kej cited the example of the legendary sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, who achieved global acclaim and collaborated with top musicians worldwide, but remains underappreciated in India. He emphasized that classical musicians have managed to break cultural barriers and reach diverse audiences globally but lack similar support domestically.

Recently, Kej announced a new rendition of the Indian national anthem featuring renowned musicians and a large number of students. He also shared a personal grievance involving Air India, which downgraded his business class ticket, highlighting the importance of calling out such instances of injustice.

(With inputs from agencies.)