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Watch: Ricky Kej collaborates with tribal farmers on a song for millets

The ‘Mandia Song’ is dedicated to mandia (millet) in collaboration with the tribal farmers of Odisha, who have cultivated the super crop for generations

Team OTTplay

Jul 07, 2023

Ricky Kej

As a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, three-time Grammy Award winner and Bengaluru-based musician Ricky Kej ensures that he does his bit to spread awareness about the need to protect planet Earth and for all of us to lead better lives.

The year 2023 has been officially recognised by the United Nations as the International Year of Millets after a proposal sent by the Indian government.

Now, we all know that millets have been a part of Indian diets for centuries because they are better for our health and for our planet. The grains are extremely resilient, as they are tolerant to drought and other extreme weather events.

Ricky has noted that over the years, millets took a backseat, recognising that we now need to incorporate millets into our daily lives to combat lifestyle diseases and for their positive effect on the environment.

As an advocate of this superfood for the last eight years, the musician has visited millet fields across India, especially in Odisha, to learn from indigenous farmers about their growing techniques and benefits.

During this time, Ricky collaborated with the tribal farmers, who are also talented musicians, and has now released a song to raise awareness about millets.

Titled the ‘Mandia Song’, the song is dedicated to mandia (millet) in collaboration with the tribal farmers of Odisha, who have cultivated this super crop for generations.

Speaking about the song, Ricky said, "Through this song, we hope to inspire everyone to bring millets into our daily lives and consciousness. I am grateful to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his pioneering efforts in reviving this traditional food on our fields and plates."