The Origin of Soul Music
Contents
The history of soul music and how it evolved from gospel and Rhythm and Blues.
What is soul music?
Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community in the United States in the 1950s and early 1960s. It combines elements of African American gospel music, rhythm and blues, and jazz. Soul music became popular for dancing and listening in the United States, where record labels such as Motown, Atlantic, and Stax were influential during the Civil Rights Movement. Soul also became popular around the world, directly influencing rock music and the music of Africa.
The history of soul music
Soul music is a genre of African American popular music that emerged in the 1950s and early 1960s. It combines elements of rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues. Soul music became popular in the United States in the 1960s.
Gospel music
Gospel music is the root of soul music. It was created by African Americans in the early 1900s, and it is a type of Christian music. The word “gospel” comes from the Greek word for “good news.” Gospel music usually has a call-and-response pattern, with a lead singer and a choir responding to each other. It often has a Pentecostal or Holiness movement sound, with clapping, tambourines, and passionate singing.
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated as R&B or RnB, is a genre of popular African-American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed towards urban African Americans, at a time when “urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a heavy, insistent beat” was becoming more popular. In the commercial rhythm and blues music typical of the 1950s through the 1970s, the bands usually consisted of piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, one or more saxophones, and sometimes background vocalists. R&B lyrical themes often encapsulate the African-American experience of pain and the quest for freedom and joy. Lyrics focus heavily on personal or social issues in fast-tempo songs that are strongly accented beats. The term “rhythm and blues” has undergone a number of shifts in meaning since it was first coined in the 1940s. It is now used to describe soul and funk-influenced styles of African-American popular music.
Motown
Motown Records was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. in 1959 in Detroit, Michigan. The label earned its nickname, “The Sound of Young America,” due to its focus on African American performers and music genres such as soul, R&B, and pop. Over the years, Motown’s artist roster included legendary names such as Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson 5. The label was sold to MCA in 1988.
The influence of soul music
Soul music is a genre that arose out of the African-American experience and it is one of the most popular and influential genres of music. It has its origins in the Southern United States, and it developed out of gospel, rhythm and blues, and other music forms.
On popular culture
Soul music became popular in the early 1960s, reaching its height of mainstream popularity with Motown records in the US and Stax Records in the UK. The term “soul” jazz was coined by record producer Alfred Lion of Blue Note records, although its origins are unclear. It was used by music journalist Dan Morgan in a 1948 article about R&B artists Louis Jordan and Lucky Millinder, and was later adopted by record companies and radio disc jockeys to describe a new style of African-American music.
Soul music is a combination of rhythm and blues (R&B) and gospelmusic. It is characterized by a strong backbeat, earthy vocals, and an emphasis on personal testimony. Other key elements include call-and-response patterns, often with a four-beat measure, syncopation, linear melodies, Protestant work ethicvalues, and a sense of pride in African-American culture.
The style originated inAfrican-American churches in the Deep South during the 1930s and 1940s before evolving into secular pop music over the following decade. It was pioneered by artists such as Mahalia Jackson, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, Sam Cookeand Otis Redding.
On other genres of music
The genre of soul music developed from gospel music, and in turn had a significant impact on other genres of music. One important offshoot of soul music is rhythm and blues, which developed in the 1940s and 1950s. Like soul music, rhythm and blues was created by African American musicians, but it was developed separately from gospel music and therefore has a different sound. Rhythm and blues focuses more on secular themes than gospel music does, and it often features electric instruments rather than acoustic ones.
Other genres of music that were influenced by soul music include funk, disco, hip hop, and R&B. Funk is a genre of music that developed in the late 1960s; it has a similar beat to soul music but is generally more uptempo. Disco is a genre of dance music that became popular in the 1970s; it incorporates elements of soul music, but it is usually faster-paced and has a heavier beat. Hip hop is a genre of rap music that developed in the 1980s; it often samples or incorporates elements of soul songs, particularly the beats. R&B, or rhythm and blues, is a genre of popular music that developed in the 1990s; like hip hop, it often samples or incorporates elements of soul songs.
The future of soul music
As we move into the future, soul music will continue to evolve. We may see more fusion genres, as well as a return to the roots of soul. With the rise in popularity of funk and hip-hop, we may see more artists sampling classic soul tracks. Whatever the future holds, soul music will continue to be a lasting genre that speaks to our hearts and souls.
