Ricky Kej’s rhythm of sustainability and unity aspires to heal the world

Sustainability, unity and compassion – that was Grammy award winner Ricky Kej’s message at the Rhythm of The Earth concert celebrating music to support environmental consciousness held in the city on Sunday. The humanitarian and UN ambassador Ricky Kej along with singer Vajirashree Venugopal and vocalist Siddharth Basur crooned, “Let’s join hands and sing this one song,” asking the crowd to join hands about the universality of life.Vajirashree’s flute and vocals created an extraordinary aura as the Bengaluru-based artiste, alongside the talented Siddharth Basur helped the audience transcend into a world of nature and music. The trio also performed Kudrath, a track dedicated to elephants and India’s forest department. “I have travelled the world over, and India’s forest department is one of the best,” was high praise from Kej. Warmth for allThe ensemble also comprised Abi K Safa, a refugee from Afghanistan, whose song, Fardaa, presented an emotional picture of the way war and violence has devastated our world.The artist, now living in India, under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees protection, thanked India, “I would like to thank India and Indians for making us feel welcome here.”A tribute to the riversWhen Ganga and Amma Kaveri paid a tribute to India’s rivers, Kej echoed their philosophy, “Rivers, trees and nature, they were here much before human beings were. They are the rightful owners of this country.”Rhythm of The Earth witnessed scintillating performances by singer Sudhir Yaduvanshi, who performed Kesariya and Dama Dam Mast Kalandar, instantly lifting the energy while percussionist Pramath Kiran added his unmatched skills to the mix.Kej said, “I believe in spreading the right messages through music,” insisting that instead of making claims of sustainability, spreading the right message creates a bigger impact. “I don’t believe any music festival can be 100 percent sustainable as long as there are people flying in, and generators working. So, I wouldn’t make such bold claims. Instead, I am focusing on initiatives like these, where I can get policy makers of a city to think about these issues and find solutions,” he added. Rhythm Of The Earth is being held in association with the Leela Group of hotels and will be taken to Delhi and Chennai next.