How an R&B Singer Made One of the Most Successful Bollywood Songs in History
The long-standing classification of music as an international language could not be more true. Although it may seem cliché, in a world as interconnected as today’s, it is difficult to deny music’s ability to connect people across the planet. A relevant example of this is Bollywood music’s evolution over recent decades. While producer A.R. Rahman has been largely credited for Bollywood’s shift towards Western, synthesized music, I would like to discuss an individual whose impact on the country’s entertainment industry has gone rather underappreciated: Akon.
The leading single “Chamak Challo” of the highly-anticipated movie Ra.One released in 2011 and it has since become one of the most recognizable Bollywood songs (it is incredibly difficult to attend an Indian gathering without hearing it). Apart from popularizing the “screw in the lightbulb” dance move, the song’s upbeat, melodic pre-hook and chorus make it a party staple even a decade after its release. What is fascinating about this song is that despite being one of the most successful Bollywood songs, with hundreds of millions combined views across YouTube, it is sung in Hindi by an American rhythm and blues singer, Akon.
Typically, when artists record songs outside of their native language, the song is initially recorded at a much slower tempo to ensure correct pronunciation and then sped-up to the final speed afterwards. However, in studio footage released by Indian record label T-Series, viewers can watch Akon record the song–singing the lyrics at the true speed of the final song, similar to how Justin Bieber recorded his remix of “Despacito.” Akon’s vocals and co-production go to show his dedication to the record, which helped it become a track as successful as it is.
Akon’s commitment to “Chamak Challo” is not only responsible for making a well-known song, it also helped break the division between Bollywood and international music. Although the record stays true to its Indian roots–through the percussion, lyrics, and instrumentation–Akon’s Western, lightly Auto-Tuned vocals give the song a trait that was previously unparalleled in Bollywood music. The presence of an American artist like Akon on an international track like “Chamak Challo” proves music’s universal appeal, regardless of language or region.
