Artist news
SA artist up for a Grammy
Award-winning South African flutist and composer Wouter Kellerman and renowned Indian composer and producer Ricky Kej have been nominated for the 57th Grammy Awards for their debut collaborative album Winds Of Samsara in the Best New Age Album Of The Year category.
The announcement was made earlier this week by The Recording Academy. Wouter Kellerman is the first ever South African to be nominated for a Grammy Award in the New Age category.
Winds Of Samsara debuted at #1 on the Billboard New Age Chart and continued to be in the Top 10 for the next 12 weeks. The collaborative album by Kellerman and Kej also debuted at #1 on the ZMR World Radio Charts. It has been a great year for the duo, as Kellerman performed sold out shows at Carnegie Hall in New York and the Grammy Museum in LA.
Winds Of Samsara speaks through themes of World peace and positivity, spinning together forward-moving harmony, progressive composition, and technical prowess with a verve and passion never before attempted in this genre. Two years in the making by the star-matched duo Wouter and Ricky, the album spotlights the musical, cultural and political connections between India and South Africa from Mahatma Gandhi to Nelson Mandela.
Transcending borders
On being nominated, Kellerman said: “I am simply overwhelmed by this nomination! It is extremely heartening to know that all our hard work is being recognised. This album has truly transcended borders and cultural barriers and we hope the positive energy created will help effect positive change in the world. I feel very privileged to be in such good company and wish all my fellow nominees all the very best.”
Ricky Kej added, “It is especially a proud moment for me to be nominated for a Grammy and to go down in history with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Enya and Enigma. It is exhilarating! This album is a dream come true for me, as it has challenged us as artists to push borders and to have the one common thread truly be the universal language of music. Being recognised in this way humbles me and motivates me to continue spreading the message of peace and harmony through my music.”
In what is seen as a major leap forward for India and South Africa on the global music stage, Kellerman and Kej will grace the red carpet at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, 8 February 2015, for the evening billed as Music's Biggest Night. The broadcast will commence on CBS at 8pm ET/PT.
Listen to Winds Of Samsara at www.windsofsamsara.com.
