The Koi

The five members; Rishikesh Thangjam, Kamlesh Khundrakpam, Nongpok Arambam, Kumarjit Huirem and Sumit Lukram came together as ‘The Koi’ sometime in 2012. Jyotin Elangbam joined the band on drums in 2018, adding his touch of subtle percussive expressions to the overall sound the band has been developing since its early beginnings. Rishikesh is the songwriter/singer of the group while the rest juggle guitars, keyboard, and percussion. Their proficiency in western classical guitar and an innate affinity to folk music of the region gives their music a character of freshness of sound and approach. A mixture of diverse and sometimes contradictory influences and inspirations, which is The Koi, is held together by an unmistakable sincerity. Koi, literally meaning ‘beard’ in Manipuri, is a signifier they have chosen to represent the essence of their music - instinctive, raw, and blithe. Childhood friends for long, the five eventually coalesced their musical pursuits and, during one of their many casual jam sessions in Shillong, ‘The Koi’ was brought about. Webcasted amateur recordings of their first few songs in English with just a laptop and a cheap mic garnered tremendous acclaim. Buoyed by the favorable response of a widening fan-base they broadened their repertoire to encompass the Manipuri language. They began composing Manipuri songs penned by the renowned late playwright Arambam Samarendra, who is also father to Nongpok. Their musical trans creation of the cherished text lends it a new incarnation and reaffirms the burgeoning of a musical tradition. They broke into the scene with ‘The Koi - the journey so far’ their debut concert held in Imphal in January 2014. Their performance was commended as a very original blend of native and western musical influences by many among the audience comprising of an assorted demographic of music lovers of the region. They released their debut album, Episode 1 in 2014. They have released a follow up E.P “Eigi Wabu Ningshingduna” on You Tube on June 2018. And, three singles “Khangdaba Kaya Wangmada” on 2019 and “Lon Na Paokhong Challibi” on 2020 and “Leichil” on 2021 was released on Youtube. Get Episode 1 at https://www.oklisten.com/album/episode_1