| Chutney Chatnee चटनी چٹنی | |
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| Stylistic origins | Hindustanifolk music, includingBhojpuri folk traditions, and later fused withcalypso,soca andfilmi |
| Cultural origins | Mid-20th century,Indo-Caribbeans withindentured servant orimmigrant ancestry |
| Typical instruments | dholak (hand drum),harmonium, anddhantal (metal rod percussion) |
| Fusion genres | |
| Music of Trinidad and Tobago | ||||
| General topics | ||||
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| Genres | ||||
| Specific forms | ||||
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| Media and performance | ||||
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| Nationalistic and patriotic songs | ||||
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| Regional music | ||||
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Chutney music (Caribbean Hindustani: चटनी संगीत, 𑂒𑂗𑂢𑂲 𑂮𑂑𑂹𑂏𑂲𑂞,چٹنی موسیقی) is a fusion genre of Indian folk music, specificallyBhojpuri folk music, withCaribbean calypso and soca music, and later withBollywood music. This genre of music that developed in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname and is popular inJamaica, other parts of the Caribbean,Fiji,Mauritius, andSouth Africa. Chutney music emerged mid-20th century and reached a peak of popularity during the 1980s. Several sub-genres have developed, most notablychutney soca.
The contemporary fusion of genres that led to chutney music was created around the 1940s byIndo-Caribbean people of theWest Indies, whose ancestors originally were brought to the region from theHindi Belt asindentured labourers by the British, intended to replaceslaves working onsugar plantations after slavery was abolished in the region. There were no recordings of chutney until 1968, whenRamdew Chaitoe, ofSuriname, recorded an early rendition of the music. The album was calledKing of Suriname and all of the songs were religious in nature. However, Chaitoe soon became a household name with East Indians, not just in his native Suriname but throughout theCaribbean. Although the songs were religious in nature, all had a distinctly danceable sound. For the first time, Indo-Caribbeans had music that spoke to them personally, and was not specifically Indian, African, or European or American in style/roots. This was a breakthrough for East Indian Caribbean music, but the fame was shortlived.
Chutney music exploded, again, after 1968, with the singerDropati releasing her albumLet's Sing & Dance, made-up of traditional wedding songs. The record became a huge hit within the Indo-Caribbean community, gaining exposure for chutney music as a legitimate form of music, and uniting Indians, regardless of their birthplace.
1969 was a turning point for chutney music, when record producer Moean Mohammed recordedSundar Popo with Harry Mahabir's BWIA Orchestra. Sundar Popo modernised the music by including western guitars and early electronics into his music. Although Popo became known as the "King of Chutney", the art of singing songs in "chutney" style was introduced by a singer named Lakhan Kariya, from the town of Felicity,Chaguanas who preceded Sundar Popo. Other artists, such asIndo-Trini artistSam Boodram, followed in his footsteps, adding newer and modern instrumentation into songs. Chutney music, until then, remained a localised genre in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname.
The modern chutney artist writes lyrics in eitherCaribbean Hindustani orEnglish, then lays them over beats derived from Indiandholak beats mixed with the soca beat.
Chutney is an uptempo song, accompanied bybass guitar,drum machine,electric guitar,synthesizer, dholak,harmonium, anddhantal,tassa played in rhythms imported fromfilmi,calypso orsoca. Early chutney was religious in nature sung by mainly women in Trinidad and Tobago. Chutney is unusual in the predominance of female musicians in its early years, although it has since become more gender-mixed.
Early chutney pioneers includeSundar Popo,Rakesh Yankaran,Heeralal Rampartap,Babla & Kanchan,Dropati, andRamdew Chaitoe.
Chutney music is typically played with thedholak,dhantal andharmonium. The melody of the music is provided by the harmonium, and the dholak and dhantal for the rhythm. More modernly, drum machines playingtassa have been incorporated into chutney as well. Tassa is drumming used in the MuslimHosay festival, and is also played during Hindu weddings and other celebrations.
Chutney music is sung inCaribbean English,Caribbean Hindustani, and sometimes otherIndian languages. Modern chutney music incorporates more English.
The origin of chutney being in the Caribbean has meant that it has been in close contact with different peoples, traditions, and other musical styles since its inception. Chutney has fused with other genres, creating an array of syncretic subgenres.Chutney soca is the most notable of these, as it has become virtually indistinguishable from what is considered normal chutney in recent years. SingerDrupatee Ramgoonai coined the term with the release of her album, "Chatnee Soca," in 1987. The style had an emphasis on Hindi lyrics and the beats of thedholak anddhantal. It was further popularized by the 1994 album, "Soca Chutney," by Sonny Mann. It was credited as the best selling Indo-Caribbean album ever, with its title track hitting the top of charts not only in the Caribbean, but in the United States, Canada, and England.
