The Koi : The Farewell Show of 2025 (Part - I)

Giving you a glimpse of the Independent - Alternative culture of the North-Eastern Region of India in it’s truest raw form.

The Alternative culture in the entire North-Eastern region has it’s uniqueness that differs a bit from other known regions and acts.

It is raw, independent & reeks individuality oozing authenticity in every aspect.


The indie-alt music scene & culture in these regions has been always well known throughout the country but also often overlooked, despite all that it refuses to give in to the collective mainstream & decides to keep on living. Alternative culture has always been a very personal & important part of the people and the region’s youth since late 60s and 70s.

But that’s not the whole story, that is just the known perception of the alternative culture here; of what can be easily seen as a place with people more attuned & mere followers of global media culture than the mainstreams.

It is much more deeper, it plays a pivotal part in the region’s generational youth culture, it does not limit itself just a mere classification of music genre, rather it is the product of the relation between the geography, social structure, condition, and expression of Individual identity, and prominently acknowledgement of exclusion.

The archetypical structure of the contemporary Indian society is majorly shared among Traditional/Vernacular and contemporary mainstream socio-psychological ideas and practises. Such niche
subculture that exist strong here in the region outside on the fringes of mainstream society, characterized by non-conformity in music, fashion, values, beliefs, social-ideals and lifestyle choices, often challenging the norms through individuality, artistic expression, as a freedom of self.

Coming together forming a tightly knit alternative community; the ideas, attitudes, and activities exist and live alongside, and parallel to local culture, but defy being dictated & regulated by the mainstream ideals, these are not removed from one’s reality & identity, rather it reinforce their individual & collective sub-cultural identity. It is a cultural identity marker and Identity as a whole, which has been a collective effort that goes beyond
cultural, religious, national, and ethnic identity.

As the first entry in the series, "The Koi: Part-I" documents the members of "The Koi" preparing for their "The Farewell Show of 2025, it introduces us to what alternative culture really looks like in this region as part of daily reality.

About "The Koi"
The Koi is an alternative/indie band from Manipur, India. 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” in the year 2021.