It’s called Gandhi – Mantras of Compassion. It’s a 10-track global musical mission that will officially start unfolding on June 21, 2025 (World Music Day and International Day of Yoga) with a trailer release. The first single drops on July 2, and the full album arrives July 14.

It’s not every day you see a Nobel Peace Laureate shrug and say, “I’ve never been able to sing.” And yet, here we are. Kailash Satyarthi, the man who’s helped rescue tens of thousands of children from trafficking and bonded labour, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Grammy-winning composer, Padma Shri Ricky Kej. The same Ricky Kej who won hearts and three Grammys with his lush soundscapes and who now says that this is his “most ambitious project yet”.

The idea was unveiled with the right amount of international sparkle during a dinner hosted by Indiaspora on February 24 at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. “A spiritual home for a global idea,” as Kej described it. There were diaspora leaders and cultural movers. And there was Ricky Kej, sharing what he called “the most personal work of my life.”

The album pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi... not the textbook figure with round glasses and bullet points about salt, but the living, breathing idea of nonviolence, truth, and humility. The same ideals that animated leaders like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. And now, a 3x Grammy-winning musician and a Nobel Laureate with the heart of a poet and the voice of a gravelly, delighted everyman.

Ambitious Project:

The music is crafted by Kej and a dizzying array of over 200 musicians from 40 countries, including over 20 Grammy winners. This includes Grammy winner Masa Takumi, Japanese composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, and cellist-composer Tina Guo (Grammy and BRIT Female Artist of the Year nominee). Tina is a frequent collaborator with Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer has brought iconic scores to life in Dune, Top Gun: Maverick, and Avatar etc.

The sound is designed to be immersive and spiritual. Think sitar meets synthesizer. Kora meets choir. Kej said in a statement: “Gandhi – Mantras of Compassion is an album rooted in the belief that music can be a force for positive change. I am honoured to collaborate with my mentor, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, a global hero who has devoted his life to protecting children and fighting for human rights and dignity, and above all, a true Gandhian.”

How the Collab Happened:

Before the album was even a twinkle in Kej’s eye, there was a three-city tour in 2024. Kej would play a 90-minute set. Satyarthi would take the mic for 30 minutes. They spent those days in transit talking about Gandhi. Somewhere between the green rooms and airplane aisles, Kej composed a song called Mahatma.

“I’ve always admired Kailash,” Kej said. “He’s a modern-day Mahatma. The way he speaks. The way he carries himself. The fact that someone like him agreed to be part of this… it means everything to me.”

The album also carries a strong message around mental health—often overlooked in social movements, and yet the beating heart of Gandhi’s ideals. “Healing can be radical,” Kej says. Imagine a generation of kids learning about Gandhi not through textbooks but through headphones. Listening to his favourite hymns on Spotify. Sharing clips on Reels where the music swells and Satyarthi’s gravel-soft voice narrates something true. That's what this rare collaboration is about.

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