Award-winning composer on his latest album, Divine Tides, made with Stewart Copeland
Ricky Kej
After his 2015 win at the Grammy Awards, Ricky Kej is already contending for another title. Divine Tides, created in collaboration with ace American composer, Stewart Copeland, who served as drummer for the rock band, The Police, is eyeing the Best New Age Album title at the upcoming gala. In this interview, Kej talks about how the pandemic influenced his work.
Edited excerpts from the interview:
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Why did you believe that Stewart Copeland would be a good fit as a collaborator on this album?
Stewart grew up in Lebanon and Egypt. He has an affinity for music that is not entirely western. He has such a vast and diverse musical landscape! For Divine Tides, he [employed] many ethnic instruments. Although he had gathered them, he couldn’t use them in projects. Instruments that he has never been known for, like the crotale, tongue drum, and timpani drum, among others, were used here. It is rare for a drummer to be considered an important part of a band. But, Stewart’s drumming style is so poetic that without it, a band’s [essence is lost]. For all these factors, I wanted to collaborate with him.
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Stewart Copeland
How is this album an evolution of your past work on nature’s conservation?
To begin with, it was written during the pandemic, when the [destruction we had caused] became evident. But, this album talks of the resilience of the human species. Most documentaries showcase human beings as [elements] that are disconnected from nature. That’s not the case; we are actually part of it. But, we are not the only species on earth. And the only way to live is by coexisting.
The album has eight music videos which have been filmed across Tamil Nadu, Chennai, and Rajasthan. One song has also been shot in the rainforests of Spain, which lent a beautiful texture to it. The visuals played a vital role in this album. It is daunting for musicians to make videos, because the expectations from the visuals are high, and [people] often under-deliver. This time, I am satisfied.
How did you film the videos in the pandemic?
There’s one song called Wonders of life, which was shot by a filmmaker called Raghul. He travelled across India alone. We didn’t want to focus on the clichés — stuff that people would expect from a video based on India. We wanted to show the beauty in the small and seemingly insignificant moments. He made the video look stunning.
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