India’s Ricky Kej, The Police co-founder Stewart Copeland share Grammy

Los Angeles, April 4 (IANS): Bengaluru-based music composer and environmentalist Ricky Kej won his second Grammy for his New Age album ‘Divine Tides’ along with Stewart Copeland, founder and drummer of the legendary rock band, The Police.

The qualified dentist-turned-composer, who has also done ad jingles and written the scores of many Kannada films, greeted the audience with a namaste as he stepped on to the stage at the MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom, venue of the 64th Grammy Awards in Las Vegas.

He won his first Grammy in 2015 for his album, ‘Winds of Samsara’, when none other than the celebrated Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer congratulated him.

Taking to Twitter, Kej wrote ecstatically after the Grammy Awards: “Filled with gratitude and love this living legend standing with me – @copelandmusic. My 2nd Grammy and Stewart’s 6th. Thank you to everyone who ever collaborated, hired, or listened to my music. I exist because of you.” Accompanying the tweet was a picture of Kej with Copeland.

Born in North Carolina in 1981, Kej, according to his biography, is half-Punjabi, half-Marwari, and has lived in Bengaluru since he was 8. He studied at Bishop Cotton School in Bengaluru before finishing college with a degree in dentistry.

But music was his first love and he started off as a keyboardist with the progressive rock band Angel Dust before becoming a full-time composer of jingles and advocate of green causes.