An exclusive interview with Renpi Kikon

Renpi Kikon is an aspiring and God fearing artiste from the hills of Nagaland. A self-taught musician whose passion is all about making good music. One can say that music in the Northeast is still in its nascent stage but what artistes from the Northeast bring is just mesmerizing and worth listening to. Who says that a career in music is waste of time? Let us hear from Renpi on what he has to say about this.

Here is Renpi Kikon with TNT –The Northeast Today

TNT. Greetings from TNT. May we have an introduction?

RENPI: Hi TNT, I am Renpi Kikon. I belong to Lotha tribe. I am an aspiring young artiste from Aree Old, under Wokha district Nagaland.

TNT. Do you have a formal music education?

RENPI: To begin with, I do not have any formal music education. I'm a self-taught artiste.

TNT. As a song-writer, where do you derive your inspirations from? Does society has an impact on the way you write?

RENPI: I derive my inspiration from my own life experiences, from  young and old people, from the places where I've been to, and from other passionate artistes. Society does have an impact on the way I write.

TNT. When did you really decide to take up music as a career? Share with us your first performance, would you say it's the most memorable performance till date?

RENPI: Since I was a teenager I was involved in music but initially I never planned on taking up music as my career. However I always had this vision in mind, to do gospel music. Gradually this vision made me decide on taking up music as my career. My first performance was in church. I was still a young boy then, I started out confident and somehow forgot the lyrics, had a nervous breakdown but I didn't give up and ended it well. Professionally my first performance was during the All Lotha Student's Union Conference which was held in Lakhuti Village, Wokha. Well every public performance has been memorable till date, as I have seized every opportunity and I'm all in for doing music.

TNT. As a solo artiste, how hard is it to make music as a career?

RENPI: It is not that hard to make a career in music as long as one is dedicated, committed and determined. This is not to say that music as a career is easy. Of course, it involves risks and challenges which are inevitable, but what matters is how I passionately do music.

TNT. We're living in a modern day, internet is useful don't you think? How has it help you?

RENPI: Internet has made life much easier and convenient, but there is no denying the fact that it also has its pros and cons. It is always wise to make good use of what internet has to offer. And as a self taught artiste I took to social media sites to enhance my skills. I had no mentor to train me, so accessibility to the internet has tremendously been helpful.

TNT. How would you describe your musical genre?

RENPI: My genre is pop, acoustic pop and progressive rock.

TNT. Improvising and composition can be difficult, right? How do you balance the two?

RENPI: Yes, improvising and composition can be difficult. As far as balancing the two is concerned I maintain flexibility between the two skills

TNT. A brief insight into your future plans?

RENPI: I will continue to work hard and accomplish the goals I have in mind. If given the opportunity I intend on learning more about music. All in God's hands.

TNT. Besides music, are you a student? What do you do in your free time?

RENPI: I have a bachelor's degree in theology. As of now I'm independent.
Basically I spent most of my free time singing, practicing with friends, watching music videos and writing.

TNT. Lastly, what message would you like to convey to your fans and people who haven't heard your music before? Thank You Kikon! Keep making good music

RENPI: To all my fans out there, I am grateful for all the support and encouragement you've given me. Keep them coming. And for people who haven't heard my music before, please do check out my official facebook page @Renpi Kikon. Recently, I dropped a new song on reverbnation and soundcloud, Do check out the following links:
http://www.Reverbnation.com/Renpikikon
http://www.soundcloud.com/renpi-kikon
Your support is very much needed. A
Thank you so much for the interview TNT.

(Interviewed by Mebanaibor Nengnong)