New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Renowned musicians, Flautist/Composer,
Wouter Kellerman and keyboardist/Composer Ricky Kej, join forces to release their musical collaboration 'Winds of Samsara' which reached Number 1 on the Billboard and ZMR World charts. The 14 track CD explores messages of love, positivity and peace, with strange and wonderful compositions of epic proportions.
120 spirited musicians from over five continents were invited to perform in global harmony, showcasing a melding of creative influences and cultures. Crossing continents, using the music to speak of all that is inspirational,
Wouter and Ricky have produced a work of astounding beauty and astonishing intelligence.
Superbly conceived and wonderfully performed, the album features a track entitled Mahatma; a tome to Gandhi's universal and entirely current message of non-violence. On the subject of inspiration for this piece
Wouter and Ricky state, "Our intention is to convey the 'Great One's' vision of worldwide peace, non-violence and love through the universal language of music, with instruments such as flute, guitar, string section and vocals."
Each track has a point of anchor in beautiful innocence with a emotional impact designed not only to heal the soul but also to allow a person to find hidden meaning in the melody. This clever design makes every note personal to the listener, allowing them unusual freedom of the imagination as they go on a journey of emotional depth. The track 'Madiba' is a musical prayer to
Nelson Mandela, celebrating his unique character of "equal parts power and tenderness," as he offered to the world his peaceful resistance. Taking inspiration from these great men and using the positivity they gifted to the world is the core of this album.
Layering vocals, strings, flute and percussion this global ensemble have created fourteen tracks filled with light and shade, peace and positivity, inspiration and passion. New York Pianist and Composer Michael Gallant collaborated on 'Journey to Higher Grand' - an ode to positivity, progress and resilience. The award winning Australian Pianist and Composer Fiona Joy was the inspiration behind 'Grace,' a gentle track with incredible emotional depth.
Kellerman who hails from South Africa is an award winning Flautist who performed at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony. He has won two SAMA's (the South African equivalent of the Grammy), including for 'Best Instrumental Album' in 2011. An altruistic and philanthropic individual, he has travelled extensively and worked tirelessly on helping disadvantaged children.
Ricky Kej is an acclaimed Composer who composed the score for the 2011 Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony. He scored and composed for five indian feature movies and has had over 3000 successful synchronisation placements with companies such Nike, Levi's, IBM and Air India
In a statement for the release of the album
Wouter and Ricky said, "Making this album has challenged us as artists to push borders aside and have one common thread, showcasing the universal language of music. We've recorded in L.A., Seattle, Melbourne, Johannesburg, Bangalore and Bulgaria, with full orchestras on most of the tracks; choirs in Australia,
India and the U.S., and we've used instruments in unexpected ways such as a Dobra, pedal steel guitar and complete string sections playing in Classical Indian styles."
Speaking of the collaborative spirit of the release they stated, "The album's message of world peace and positivity ring true from the core of the collaborative process and the authenticity of the talented musicians who transcended borders and cultural barriers from the start. What bound us all together was the desire to create music that could help affect positive change in the world, and we hope people are moved by the end result."
Wouter Kellerman is scheduled to play alongside Trumpeter
David Longoria at the Grammy Museum in LA on 1st October and at Carnegie Hall in NYC on 4th October with Jazz Pianist
Vincent Lyn.
Tickets for Grammy Museum available from https://tinyurl.com/mcudr6s
Tickets for Carnegie Hall available from https://goo.gl/CdTQYx
