Chai Town and How To Train Your Dragon

Today I have some music for you which comes from the world of a Capella. I haven't posted much about a Capella in general, and today I wasn't able to get enough of one of my favorite a Capella groups. Chai Town is based in Urbana-Champagne, and is a fusion a Capella group. What I love about this group is that their a Capella isn't limited to just English and Hindi. There are other Indian languages which are thrown in, and other styles of music as well from famous Disney songs to some club bangers. But somehow Chai Town seems to make these all work, and sweetly and deftly creates mashups which are irresistible. Chai Town also does an awesome job of incorporating songs that aren't necessarily recent or current. A lot of the mashups and renditions we hear, are of songs that have been out for a while and even a bit classic. For example, with today's mashup, the English song is one that is reminiscent of my childhood. This was such a classic while growing up, and is still so loved today. Even the Bollywood song that is mashed up is an older one from a classic movie. I love that they stray away from doing songs that everyone knows and listens to as of now. It is refreshing to be reminded of how much I used to love these songs. This rendition combines a song by Jesse McCartney and another from the Hindi movie Dostana. I love how well done this combination is. Everything about this is so pristine and beautifully performed! From the back up vocals and "instrumental" background to the foreground vocals, everything is so perfectly executed. In this song we get to hear Jesse McCartney's song as the backdrop for the mashup. What is cool though, is that Chai Town seamlessly blends from Jesse McCartney's background to Dostana's. It is a subtle shift, but there nonetheless and the smoothness of that transition is commendable. Eventually the song finds its way back t being based by Jesse McCartney. However, this is when the secondary vocals really come into play. The secondary vocals are the ones who set the song in motion. They determine where the primary vocals go, which song they choose. The cadence that the secondary vocals carry is what really drives the song, and they do a wonderful job of keeping with the rhythm of each song. One of the things I loved is how the song structure is a gorgeous blend of the English and Hindi songs. Where one pauses, the other picks up. But the way Chai Town has arranged the piece is so well done that both songs seem to be in time and in rhythm with the other without the additional need of actually arranging the song to be synced up. It is kind of like DJ-ing. When you have two songs mashed together, there is a common beat that must be found. Everything else is either sped up or slowed down to match. Chai Town does this so smoothly that it feels like the song is in the same rhythm as the two original counterparts. And then we get to the top vocals. Gorgeous and rich as ever, the lead vocalist delivers a performance that is sweet and gentle, but still full of a rich tone. That soft sweetness is absolutely perfect for a cute romantic song like this one. This rendition is just another reason why I love sharing music. This song is one that is so easy to fall in love with, and it is nice to see how the a Capella team put their own twist to the music. Today's instrumental song is from the movie How to Train Your Dragon. I still stand by my belief that this is one of the best children's movies scores I have ever heard. Rooted in a powerful and warming Celtic sound, this film score is one that is equally strong and adorable. The premise of the movie is enough to make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but the sweet innocence we hear in the movie score is just a cherry on top. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!