The Red Chillies are a hot new Kiwi-Indian band setting the town on fire. This five-piece group of talented musicians from Kerala, India, have been making waves at various community events in Christchurch with their high-energy performances and wide-ranging repertoire.
The band’s sound is a unique blend of Indian and Western music, with influences ranging from classical Indian to Bollywood to rock and pop. Their live shows are a feast for the senses, with a high-energy mix of traditional instruments, electronic beats, and catchy melodies.
The band’s lead vocalist, Emil Louis, is a trained and professional singer who has won several awards for his talent. Arun Linus joins him on guitar and violin, Ivon Bobby on keyboards, Sanoj Jacob on percussion, and Vishnu Sreekumar on bass guitar.
Though all five musicians hail from Kerala, India, they only met in New Zealand through various community events.
Louis says, “We kept bumping into each other and discovered our shared passion for music, and finally, in 2021, we decided to come together to create Red Chillies.”
The Red Chillies band is a multi-genre and multilingual band and can perform songs in Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam.
Linus is a cinematographer by profession and owns a production company. He also has a music production setup at home and is a YouTuber as well.
“Whenever some of us met at the community events, music was always the topic of discussion, and we discovered each other’s strengths while having casual jamming sessions,” Linus says.
Bobby, who started playing keyboards at a young age, has done the music arrangement for many short films and ads. He is also a well-known cricketer and a City Council staff member by day.
“After some jamming sessions, we performed on the first stage in 2021 for a South Indian community event,” Bobby tells me. “We were a little nervous playing before such a large gathering, but the crowd was appreciative, and the performance was a big hit.”
The band’s influences include renowned musicians such as AR Rahman, Ilayaraja, and others. They draw inspiration from these legends, and they strive to honour their legacy while adding their own unique touch.
“What makes us special is our versatility,” says Jacob, the band’s percussionist. “We play a wide range of genres and languages, from classic Bollywood hits from the 70s to the latest ones. We can perform anything from melody to fast numbers, and we do it in a variety of languages, including Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam. This helps us connect with a large number of audiences.”
Inspired by Indian drummer Sivamani, Jacob started his career as a Drummer and can play various instruments like Dhol, Thavil, Mridangam etc. An IT Engineer by profession, Jacob has also composed music for various projects.
Sreekumar, the band’s bassist, hails from a family of musicians. He started playing guitar as a child, and he has been performing in bands and concerts since he was in his teens.
Professionally a Project Manager, he recently moved to Christchurch from Auckland, where he was part of various bands and concerts.
Sreekumar says that coordinating practice sessions can be a challenge. “Since all of us have day jobs and have busy work schedules, coordinating practice sessions becomes a major challenge,” he says. “We recently had to turn down an offer to perform for a function in Auckland as we found it quite hard to get the whole gear up there.”
Since starting their journey in 2021, the band has performed in some private events and Onam 2022. They were also part of the lineup at Diwali 2022. Our first performance for this year was the ISCC coordinated event “ISCC Connects”.
The Red Chillies band has been on the go since they started their journey in 2021. They have performed at several private events, including Onam 2022 and Diwali 2022. They also recently performed at the ISCC Connects event.
The band is a rising star on the Christchurch music scene. In a short time, the band has performed at several high-profile events and gained many fans who love their unique mix of music.
Talking about the band’s future, Linus says, “In terms of upcoming performances, we are currently focusing on a musical night organised by the Tamil Community at July end. Then, we will perform at the Onam celebration at the end of August. And finally, we will be performing at ISCC’s Christchurch Diwali Festival 2023.”
“We are all very passionate about music, and we are excited to share our sound with the world,” Louis says. “We believe that we have something special, and we are determined to make it happen.”