The music was created by Indo-Caribbeans who were transported to the West Indies as indentured servants and later immigrants, during the 19th century. The modern chutney artist writes lyrics in either Hindi, Bhojpuri or English and then lays it on top of beats that come from indian beats from the dholak mixed with the Soca beat.
Some current chutney artists are Rikki Jai, Rakesh Yankaran, Devanand Gattoo, Heeralal Rampartap and the late Ramdew Chaitoe who composes the Surinamese based Baithak Gana in his album The Star Melodies of Ramdew Chaitoe. Among the best known examples of chutney music are Sundar Popo's Pholourie Beena Chutney, Sonny Mann's Lotalal, Vedesh Sookoo's Dhal Belly Indian, Anand Yankaran's Jo Jo, Neeshan 'D Hitman' Prabhoo's Mr. Shankar and Rikki Jai's Mor Tor.
Chutney music is mostly popular among the Indian community in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and also the West Indian diaspora communities in Toronto, Canada, The Netherlands, New York and South Florida. Some of the top chutney music producers and bands responsible for making chutney what it is today by providing the sound tracks include Harry Mahabir, the JMC Triveni Orch., T&Tec Gayatones (Rishi Gayadeen), Beena Sangeet Orch., Rishi Mahatoo, Fareed Mohammed and Ravi Sookhoo, all out of Trinidad and Tobago where Chutney music was orginally born.
Chutney is an uptempo song, accompanied by dholak, harmonium and dhantal, played in rhythms imported from filmi, calypso or soca. Early chutney was religious in nature. Chutney is unusual in the predominance of female musicians in its early years, though it has since become mixed.
