Three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej at the launch of the anthem at the Kempegowda International Airport on Friday.
Credit: DH PHOTO/BK Janardhan
Bengaluru: The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru on Friday unveiled its official anthem — a Kannada-English track composed by three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej.
The airport operator, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), premiered the anthem as a music video at the airport premises. It features the voices of two-time Grammy Award winner Lonnie Park and Kannada singer Siddhartha Belmannu.
The video traces three stories of passengers heading for their destinations from the airport and celebrates KIA’s amenities and services it offers to passengers, including those with different abilities. It closes with the words — "The world is waiting for you".
Speaking after the unveiling of the anthem, Kej spoke on his connection with the airport — his “second home” — and how he created music in its lounges and while waiting for his flights to take off.
Kej shared with the audience the experience of receiving a congratulatory phone call from Lata Mangeshkar while he was at KIA, returning to India after winning his first Grammy, in 2015. He said the call opened a beautiful bond between him and the legendary singer.
Highlighting KIA’s focus on sustainablity, Kej called it a "socially and environmentally responsible" airport.
The anthem is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Wynk, and other platforms.