Ricky Kej on World Environment Day: I am proud to have just 11 sets of clothes

Three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej is a proud environmentalist. From making music about Kiribati, the first country that the rising sea levels are likely to swallow up due to climate change to following a sustainable lifestyle when it comes to fashion, the musician likes his music to also reflect his beliefs. “As a child, I was an environmentalist even before I knew what the term meant. When I started my professional career as a musician, I decided to create music around subjects that I felt strongly about, as I wanted my art to reflect me and my thoughts. I have always felt strongly about climate change, deforestation, environmental consciousness and social impact around all this, and I wanted my music to reflect that,” the UN Goodwill Ambassador (UNCCD) tells us.

When I started my career, I started with commercials for TV and radio and did that for 13 years. But, in 2014, I realised the power of music when all the big brands used music to communicate their message on sales and strengthen people's opinions. That's when I decided to use the power of music to raise awareness around environmental causes and celebrate the beauty of our natural surroundings. I was 33 then and I worked on my album Winds of Samsara, which was in this direction. It got me my first Grammy Award.

If you scroll through Kej’s Insta page, it’s likely you’ll see him wearing the same clothes at multiple events. “I lead a sustainable lifestyle when it comes to my fashion choices,” he tells us, adding, “I feel buying less clothes, but good quality ones, is a great way to take a step towards sustainability. I don’t subscribe to the use-and-throw culture of fashion. I am proud to have just 11 sets of clothes and I am all for re-wearing them multiple times. The planet doesn't remember what we wear, but it does remember how we treat it.”

He adds that he takes good care of his clothes. “Last year, when I won a Grammy, I got a cream sherwani made for the ceremony. I have worn it at 60 concerts so far, and it's still going strong and is in a good condition,” says the musician.

Ask how he got driven towards making music that reflects the environment, the 42-year-old says, “I’ve always had a problem with spoken language, because I have a condition called the expressive language disorder, which causes a problem with communication. The only languages I can speak decently are English and Hindi. So, music helps. I am glad I can express myself so well with music around climate change, air pollution, human-elephant conflict, plastic pollution, celebrating various species of animals, etc., through my music.”