August 25th Sonipat: On August 24, the JGU campus was treated to a live concert by Ricky Kej, an Indian music composer who has played in over 30 countries, including the United Nations offices in New York and Geneva. Kej, a skilled musician, is the fourth Indian to get a Grammy prize making him the country's youngest recipient.
The event was organised by Student Life and Cultural Engagement (SLCE) in partnership with the JGU Music Society and took place in the University's flagpole location. The musical performance began at 7:30 PM and steadily gathered up pace, with Ricky entertaining students with his hit tunes. From "Dama dam mast kalander" to "Gur nal ishq meeta" and "karuna," Kej wowed the collegiate audience with some of his best songs.
“I thought the event organized by SLCE was a fantastic initiative. Having a three-time Grammy Award winner as part of it was an absolute honour. As I interviewed the bands, it became clear that when you're passionate about what you do, everything that follows becomes an exciting adventure...From the conversations and interactions, it was evident that the students thoroughly enjoyed the event. The atmosphere was lively, and it turned into a fantastic, vibey evening for everyone involved,” said Aarushi Suvarna, a member of JGU’s music society.
The crowd enthusiastically participated in the evening's joyful and high-spirited singing. Some in the audience sang along, while others danced and cheered. Kej concluded the event with a rendition of the national song that gave the young audience goosebumps. Along with the marquee performer, there were several outstanding acts by experienced musicians, like Kartik Mani on drums and percussion and Sandeep Vashishta on the bamboo flute. Sudhir Yaduvanshi's singing wowed the audience, and Dhruva on the Sitar stood out as a remarkable talent. The guitarist, Sidharth, enchanted everyone with his riffs.
"The Ricky Kej event was one like no other, it was a great opportunity and experience to be managing an event for musicians with such versatility and experience, all of the heads of different committees and all of the OC [organizing committee] members had clear communication and allocation of responsibilities, which made it easier for everyone to make this event a big success," said Aniket Ratnesh, the event's head of security.
Kej interacted with the audience to ensure that they were involved with the performances and to give his music more context, spoke about his ancestral background and his ardent love for the country.
The event was the result of meticulous planning by the music society. Their efforts paid off, and the result was deeply satisfying. It was a memorable experience for organisers and spectators alike.