"Really exciting PM Modi is now a Grammy nominee": Musician Ricky Kej

BENGALURU: Commending Prime Minister Narendra Modi after 'Abundance in Millets', a song featuring him, was recently nominated in the best global music performance category for the 2024 Grammy Awards, globally renowned musician Ricky Kej said the former's efforts to popularise millets was helping not just India but the world to adopt a healthier diet and lifestyle.

Speaking to ANI on Sunday, the three-times Grammy-winning musician said, "Millet is considered to be a super crop because it is great for our body, health and our planet. All of us have to make it our mission to ensure that everyone returns to our roots, our tradition, especially in India, and return to millet because it's been a very strong part of our traditions. Prime Minister Modi has been doing tremendous work to popularise millet not just in India, but all over the world because it's important that the whole world adopts a healthier lifestyle and a life that is better for our environment. The United Nations has declared this year as the international year of millet. All of us know that when PM Modi went to the US and there was a state dinner at the White House where millet was actually served at the dinner."

On the song 'Abundance in Millets', featuring PM Modi being nominated for the 2024 Grammy's, Kej told ANI, "It is really exciting that Prime Minister Modi is now a Grammy nominee, this is actually for a song that has been created on millet, by Prime Minister Modi along with Indo-American artists Falu (Falguni Shah) and Gaurav Shah. The three of them have created this extraordinary track which has been nominated for a Grammy. I'm extremely confident that they are going to bring this Grammy home, and we are going to showcase India as being a country that stands by millets and that stands by creating a better future for the future generations."

PM Modi and Indian-American singer Falguni Shah, along with her husband, Gaurav Shah, collaborated on this special song. The song features a speech written and delivered by PM Modi.

The special song was created to raise awareness of the supergrain as another potential key to minimising world hunger, read the statement on Falu's website.

Other nominees for the Best Global Music Performance category are Shadow Forces by Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily; Alone by Burna Boy, Feel by Davido, Milagro Y Disastre by Silvana Estrada, Pashto by Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain featuring Rakesh Chaurasia and Todo Colores by Ibrahim Maalouf featuring Cimafunk and Tank and the Bangas.

Sharing the song on X, earlier this year, Falguni said, "Abundance in Millets" a song inspired by PM Narendra Modi's proposition to the UN to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Honoured to collaborate with him, write a song to promote millet, help farmers grow it, and help end world hunger."

Prime Minister Modi unveiled the album cover of the song during his four-day visit to the US in June this year. Earlier, he also lauded Shah for 'Abundance in Millets', which raises awareness regarding healthy and environment-friendly millets.

Prime Minister Modi also commended the singer for bringing the people of India and the US together through her music.

Falguni bagged the Best Children's Music Album Grammy for 'A Colourful World' on April 4, 2022, saying that PM Modi, to her surprise, also extended his best wishes for winning her first-ever Grammy.