The nominations for the 67th Grammy Awards had been introduced on Friday. Ricky Kej, a three-time Grammy winner, earned a nomination within the Greatest New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album class for his album Break of Daybreak. Kej is not any stranger to utilizing his music as a automobile for elevating consciousness on environmental points. Nonetheless, his newest album, Break of Daybreak, takes a unique path, specializing in psychological wellness and the connection between our internal peace and the setting round us. In an unique interview with EDNBOX, the musician shared the story behind Break of Daybreak and revealed the inspiration and philosophy that formed this album. What’s extra, Kej is taking this imaginative and prescient a step additional, collaborating with Stanford International Well being and the Stanford College of Bio Design to start scientific trials to analyze how Break of Daybreak can have a optimistic impression on well being.
“I’m collaborating with the Stanford International well being and Stanford College of Bio Design to additional this trigger, and we’re beginning scientific trials in sufferers to see how Break of Daybreak has optimistic have an effect on on well being and the significance science backing and we’ll attain a stage hopefully in close to future the place docs can really prescribe ‘Break of Daybreak to their sufferers simply how they prescribe physiotherapy and medicines. Along with that Stanford College Stanford International Well being, they’ve given a quotation to ‘Break of Daybreak‘. They’ve congratulated me for creating this music they usually have stated that this music is certainly India-rooted wellness music which might elevate the worldwide burden of psychological well being,” Ricky Kej instructed EDNBOX.
He additional stated, “Really, it is an fascinating story. I feel the yr was 2015. I used to be watching this programme known as Samwad which is a Hindu Buddhist conclave. And Prime Minister Modi was talking in that conclave. He occurred to say this quote that imbalances and impurities of the setting are a direct reflection of impurities of the thoughts. And that form of fairly struck me that it is fairly apparent that its true after which I realised that it’s mainly in historic Indian and Buddhist philosophy that the impurities of the setting is the reflection of the thoughts and with a purpose to purify the setting one must first purify the thoughts.”
“Should you consider it logically it is completely true. That’s once I got down to creating music which talks about psychological wellness and which eliminates metallic stress. I began off although Indian rooted wellness musical types that’s Indian raags. I chosen 9 raags and I did 9 items of music primarily based on these raags. And that precisely what this album is ‘Break of Daybreak’. It is India rooted wellness by music,” Kej added.
When requested in regards to the excellent setting for listening to the album, Ricky Kej pointed to the standard perception within the energy of Brahma Muhurat – the time simply earlier than daybreak when the thoughts is most receptive to optimistic influences. He stated, “I do not know a lot about Brahma Muhurat however what I can say is that I’m 100% certain if anyone listens to this album…It’s one hour lengthy with 9 songs…if anyone listens to this album I can problem you that they may come out from listening to this album feeling so much higher, much more joyful, much less pressured and so much happier. That I can guarantee.”
Ricky Kej additionally spoke about his personal method to psychological wellness. Regardless of the pressures of his extremely profitable profession, the musician shared that he does little or no to consciously handle his personal psychological well being. “I do little or no really, which isn’t the best factor. For me, my ardour has been music, for the reason that time I bear in mind. Ever since a toddler, I’ve at all times been a musician. I do not bear in mind a time in my life once I was not taking part in a musical instrument,” he revealed.
ICYDK, Ricky Kej, who gained his first Grammy in 2015 for Winds of Samsara with Wouter Kellerman, earned his second Grammy in 2022 for Divine Tides, his album with The Police’s Stewart Copeland. Each had been honoured within the Greatest New Age Album class and Kej’s third Grammy got here in 2023 for the immersive audio model of Divine Tides, which gained Greatest Immersive Audio Album.
For Grammys 2025, his album has been pitted in opposition to Chapter II: How Darkish It Is Earlier than Daybreak by sitarist, singer-songwriter and composer Anoushka Shankar, Warriors of Mild by Indian-origin artist Radhika Vekaria and Triveni by entrepreneur and artist Chandrika Tandon, created with flautist Wouter Kellerman and cellist Eru Matsumoto.