Wouter Kellerman & Ricky Kej - Winds of Samsara

In Hindu religion and philosophy the word samsara refers to the repetitive cycle of birth, life and death (reincarnation). It is also about a belief that the quality of one’s deeds (karma) in the present life will determine his destiny in the after-life. According to the Buddha’s teachings there is no beginning or end to this cycle until one attains nirvana (spiritual bliss) – which means ‘blown out’ as in a candle being blown out by the wind – through achievement of freedom from earthly vices by meditation.

Winds of Samsara is musically a blissful experience. It opens up new sonic vistas for the listener and transports him into a heavenly realm of tranquil, soothing and meditative flute sounds. The experience is like discovering lost ancient treasures in a deserted palace. I have heard Greek musician Yanni’s No Borders, No Boundaries project and his groundbreaking performances at the Taj Mahal and the Forbidden City. But the Grammy Award-winning Winds of Samsara takes the sublime beauty of the new age genre to hitherto unheard of terrain.

According to Wikipedia, new age music is a genre that is intended ‘to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism’. This album fulfils all these and more; and explains why its creators – South African flute virtuoso/master composer, Wouter Kellerman and Indian keyboardist/composer/producer, Ricky Kej are joint winners of a Grammy Award in the Best New Age Album category. Kellerman is the third South African to win a Grammy, exactly 50 years after Miriam Makeba and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Winds of Samsara debuted at #1 on the Billboard New Age chart and continued to be in the top 10 for the next twelve weeks. This masterful recording also debuted at #1 on the ZMR World Radio charts. The year 2014 has been a great one for the duo, as Kellerman performed sold-out shows at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York and the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Inspired by the pacifist and reconciliatory politics of the Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, the boundary-collapsing project is a befitting homage to the two icons whose names have gone down in history as the champions of universal values of one love and brotherhood.

A fusion of ancient Indian chants, European folk music, contemporary orchestral arrangements and celestial vocal harmonies are some of the elements that are executed with exceptional technical prowess and a verve and passion never before attempted in this genre. It is music that expresses and celebrates the possibility of positive change in the world while it conjures images of beautiful landscapes of wind-swept deserts, ancient Oriental palaces and the African savannah.

A truly global effort, Winds of Samsara features 120 talented musicians from five continents and showcases five languages – two Indian, two African and English. This is indeed an exhilarating work that pushes cultural and artistic boundaries and shows that through music humanity can walk a common path and express its destiny and purpose through the universal language of music. It is beautiful music that symbolises the historic and cultural bonds between India and South Africa. But even tellingly, it is ultimate homage to two of the 20th century’s greatest figures – Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

• Originally published on 26 March 2015 in JazzLife magazine.