Ricky Kej, Kailash Satyarthi Team Up For Gandhi Album, US Tour Starts In Houston
HOUSTON, TX- A global collective of GRAMMY-winning musicians, led by composer Ricky Kej, has released a new album, “GANDHI: Mantras of Compassion,” paying tribute to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. The project features over 230 musicians from 40 countries, including Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi and artists Tina Guo and Masa Takumi.
The album, now available from Ricky Kej Music, stems from a conversation between Kej and Satyarthi during a tour of India. Their discussions on Gandhi’s principles seeded the concept for a collaborative musical and spoken-word homage to his legacy of nonviolent resistance, peace, and environmental consciousness.
Kej, a three-time GRAMMY winner, enlisted frequent collaborator Sumathy Ram, along with GRAMMY-nominated Chinese American cellist Tina Guo and GRAMMY-winning shamisen player Masa Takumi. The project’s international scope reflects Gandhi’s global impact, featuring contributions from a wide range of artists, including seven-time GRAMMY winner Stewart Copeland, folk legend Peter Yarrow, and the New York Youth Symphony.
“Mahatma Gandhi inspired generations of changemakers, from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Nelson Mandela. This album is our humble offering to keep that flame alive,” Kej said. “Music has the power to transcend boundaries, just as Gandhi’s message did.”
The album features original compositions, as well as new renditions of some of Gandhi’s favorite mantras and hymns. Standout tracks include “We Are One (Raghupati Raghava),” a blend of Hollywood strings and an Indian choir, and “The Lord’s Prayer,” translated into Sanskrit and featuring one hundred Indian priests and nuns. The album also includes four spoken-word passages by Satyarthi, who is credited with freeing over 100,000 children from slavery.
Kej will promote the album with a multi-city tour beginning in Houston at the Eternal Gandhi Museum on September 20, with Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi joining him at both the Houston and New York events.
Ram, the album’s music producer, stated, “This album highlights Ricky Kej’s signature musical style while reimagining Gandhi’s legacy for today’s world. The epic album is more than just a tribute; it is also a call for reflection, feeling, and living with greater compassion.