Hope and faith through music

It is the time to be hopeful about the new year, and a city-bred band is trying to spread the message of hope and positivity through their music.

‘Cross Regiment’ was formed in February 2017 with the intention of sending across a message of hope and encouragement. Apart from making music videos, the band also performs at college programs, where the focus is on singing message-oriented music which tackles emotional problems faced by students.
Speaking about how they came together, Nishan Sampreeth Chilkuri, the lead vocalist of the band, says:

“Beno, Benny, Alex, and I met at Sreyas Institute of Engineering & Technology, where we collaborated to perform at the Annual day function. This was three years ago, and we didn’t immediately form ourselves into a band. After starting to hang out together, and jam together, we felt we could start a band, and did so in February 2017. Emmanuel joined us later.”

Apart from Nishan, the band has Beno Joseph (keyboard), Saki Alex (rhythm guitar), Benny Meagher (lead guitar), and Elijah Emmanuel (drums). Recently, the band released a cover music video of ‘Bandeh’, a song by Indian Ocean. The music video featured visuals of various caste-motivated and communal incidents taking place across the country. It was made to persuade people to take a stand against caste-discrimination and condemn the attacks.

“We believe in music that is intended to bring about positive change, or be a positive influence. We have performed at college events and several church-related programs,” says Beno.

Explaining why their band was named so, Nishan says: “Regiment is a military unit. Cross refers to the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. We chose that name because it’s a symbol of sacrifice, fearlessness, and standing up for the weak.”