'Chattan' in Hindi means "Rock".
The song "CHATTAN" was released by Bridge Music just when the pandemic started and through the last year, has been a source of strength to millions of people. It has several versions that have spawned through the months. I am mentioning the best versions of the songs.
Original version - still the overall best! (Chattan - Acoustic | Bridge Music ft. Prakruthi Angelina & Sam Alex Pasula)
The original version was acoustic and had 2 vocalists - Prakruthi Angelina & Sam Alex Pasula. Prakruthi carries the song through, mainly with her lilting vocals. Her enunciation of the words adds depth to the lyrics. I love how Sam slowly eases in at the bridge and then brings the song to a strong finish - musically brilliant! The song did not have a music video to add to the beauty and was just wonderful as a pure musical experience.
Best regional language version (Enthan Kanmalai | Tamil Cover of Chattan | Sammy Thangiah | Prakruthi Angelina | Derick Samuel)
Prakruthi and team translated the song to Tamil - a South Indian language. Preserving the acoustic feel of the original and throwing in a flute, the song captures the authentic feel of the song, especially since Prakruthi sings the lead vocals. The quaint studio setting of the video adds an intimate feeling to the song and lifts the meaningful lyrics. Sung in the language I understand and translated so well, it strikes close to my heart!
I'll embed a version showing a highway drive as this is a song I listen to a lot while I am driving:
Best children's version (Chattan by The K4C Legends l K4C International Conservatory Of Music)
This is a full studio version recorded by students at the K4C Music School. It's amazing to see the kids render such a beautiful and powerful version of the song - they are obviously very serious about learning music. I'm sure some of them will grow up to be terrific musicians and may even make a career out of music. They have 2 versions - one in Hindi and another in Tamil. Here are both versions
Best virtual version (Chattan Bridge Music Cover- KDB Michael | Elic Massey | Sonal Timothy | Rohit Silas | Tanya Nazrene)
The pandemic and lockdowns resulted in a burst of virtual choirs on youtube and it was inevitable that Chattan spawned virtual choir numbers too. This was one of the early versions and I enjoyed it thoroughly. There are more vocalists and quite a few instruments (the guitar is my favorite) in this mix.
Best English version (Chattan - English Version 'My Rock' - Vihan Damaris)
It's common to see English versions Indianised by bands. Vihan does an amazing job westernizing the music and translating the lyrics to English. She still manages to capture the beauty of the lyrics from the original language and makes the music beautiful too. Her vocals and backing vocals add the perfect touch to "Englishifying" an Indian Song.
PS: Prakruthi and Vihan are good friends and they have a home acoustic version of the song on her channel - check the song out too at the end!
Chattan (Official) | Bridge Music ft. Prakruthi Angelina, Samarth Shukla & Zayvan
Paradoxically the "official" version was launched several months later in December 2020. It had a studio-shot video and a much bigger ensemble of instruments and vocal power. This is however not my favorite version. Although it had powerful vocals and an array of extra instruments including a flute and tabla, I still prefer Prakruthis original acoustic version (with Sam) and the Tamil version (with Sammy and Derrick) much more - they both capture the personal, warm meaning of the song better.
This version starts off with a bang - a drum beat and roll. It is sung on a higher scale. I prefer the original, more intimate, and acoustic version on a lower note which adds character to the lyrics. The musical build-up of the official version, with the rap going on to the bridge just doesn't satisfy my contemplation of what this song means to me. This is certainly good, but seems to be more of an attempt to bridge across to the pop music culture. I still listen to it and find it still carried the original meaning quite well.
Special Mentions:
- Kephas (Chattan) Malayalam cover | FT. Walk the Waves | Nazarene Cartel
Malayalam is a beautiful language and this video captures the lush green outdoors of God's Own Country - Kerala. It has a few choreographed moves that the singers do well.
- Chattan (Live) - Prakruthi Angelina, Vihan Damaris (Hindi and Tamil)
I've mentioned this in the blog. This is a fusion of the Hindi and Tamil versions sung by Vihan and Prakruthi. I like the live 'home' mood it creates. Vihan says Prakruthi is a great friend and it's obvious that they sing together off-screen just for fun - their vocals match well and complement each other.
Which is your favorite version? Add it in the comments and I'll see if the list can accommodate more too!
Have a blessed time. I'll leave you with Vihan's English lyrics of the song so you can understand it!
