{"id":1996141,"date":"2025-09-04T05:08:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T05:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1996141"},"modified":"2025-09-04T05:08:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T05:08:07","slug":"ricky-kejs-music-powers-papua-new-guineas-first-oscar-entry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/ricky-kejs-music-powers-papua-new-guineas-first-oscar-entry\/","title":{"rendered":"Ricky Kej\u2019s music powers Papua New Guinea\u2019s first Oscar entry"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Updated on: Sept 04, 2025 10:25 am IST <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej has composed the background score for Papa Buka, Papua New Guinea\u2019s first-ever official entry to the Oscars.<\/h2>\n
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Three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej has composed the background score for Papa Buka, Papua New Guinea\u2019s first-ever official entry to the Oscars. Directed by three-time National Film Award winner Dr Biju (Bijukumar Damodaran), the film has been selected in the Best International Feature Film (Tok Pisin) category.<\/p>\n

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Musician Ricky Kej and a still from the film Papa Buka<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Calling it a proud moment, Padma Shri awardee Kej says, \u201cIt\u2019s the first step on the Oscars race, but for me, the joy lies in creating music rooted in history that dates back over 3,000 years. This collaboration between India and Papua New Guinea tells the story of Indian historians searching for an indigenous World War II veteran to uncover forgotten secrets.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the score, Kej drew inspiration from tribal sounds. \u201cIt\u2019s a very subtle film, so the music had to be in sync with it. I studied raw tribal music, indigenous instruments, jungle sounds, rhythms, archival recordings and natural sound-scapes to create it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

The film’s cast includes actors Sine Boboro, John Sike, Ritabari Chakraborty and Prakash Bare in leading roles.<\/p>\n

The musician has an illustrious body of work \u2014 from Adrishya Jalakangal<\/a> (2023), an anti-war Malayalam film with Dr Biju, to Wild Karnataka<\/i> (2020), a National Award-winning documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough<\/a> and Hollywood\u2019s MR-9: Do or Die <\/i>(2023) where actors Frank Grillo and Michael Jai White were the antagonist while the protagonist was an Asian.<\/p>\n

His upcoming project is Wild Tamil Nadu<\/i>. His most recent album, Gandhi: Mantras of Compassion<\/i>, was created with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi and over 200 musicians from 40 countries.<\/p>\n

Kej admits he chooses films only if they have strong social impact. That\u2019s why, despite his global work, he has yet to compose for Bollywood: \u201cI love watching Hindi films but I can\u2019t do item numbers or misogynistic songs. I\u2019ve stuck to music that represents me, and perhaps that\u2019s why I\u2019ve won three Grammys. Still, I\u2019d love to compose for Bollywood someday.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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News<\/a> \/<\/span> HTCity<\/a> \/<\/span> Cinema<\/a> \/<\/span> Ricky Kej\u2019s music powers Papua New Guinea\u2019s first Oscar entry <\/div><\/div>\n