Essay on Soul Music - 1493 Words

Soul Music Since the early to mid 1800’s, music has been the most powerful vehicle of human expression. As the embodiment of love, disapproval, happiness, pain and experience, mainly life, music speaks to us because it comes from us. Everyone in the, paradigm of the human experience instinctively and systematically change the music of the past to represent the realities of the present. In this century, African American music, more specifically Soul music, has been the music that has brought to plain view evidences of our humanities – hope, hurt, joy and passion – in such a way that the world has no other choice than to feel its power and marvel in its brilliance. Although the first true pioneers of music can not be traced, some of the†¦show more content†¦The city blues gave the women a chance to be in the limelight. Focusing on issues that plagued African Americans, these dynamic women entertained audiences all over through their rich soulful voices accompanied by musical repertoire. In the 1940’s what was known as city blues became urban and instrumental blues with the implementation of additional vocals and a big band, which now included saxophones, keyboards and electrical basses and guitars. This style of blues gave way to what we now know as RB. Just as the blues, RB served a form of communication, a way of telling one’s life story as well to delivery information. Such examples can be seen in the music that developed in the 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s and even leading into today’s music genre. When one discusses the relationship between Soul music and the civil rights movement, it becomes a dialogue very akin to that of the chicken and the egg. The period of â€Å"Classic Soul† is that period primarily, but not exclusively referenced as the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s (Stephenson 186). This is the time frame of the American Civil Rights Movement, and the impact of the massive changes going on, are reflected in the music and the culture. So one would be correct in both assuming that the Civil Rights Movement gave rise to Soul music, as much Soul music contributed to the success of the campaign for civil rights. Soul music during its day didShow MoreRelatedSoul Music, Or Soul?1237 Words   |  5 Pages Soul music, or â€Å"Soul†,was adopted to describe African-American popular music as it evolved from the 1950s to the early 1970s. Although some people thought of â€Å"Soul† music as a new term for Rhythm and Blues, it was not. In fact, th e â€Å"key ingredient in Soul music, and the element that defined it as a new style was the influence of gospel music.† (1)This style of music was a blend gospel music with the dance grooves of that era. However, Soul music during its heyday did more than simply entertain.Read MoreThe Legacy Of Soul Music1509 Words   |  7 PagesSoul is a music genre that over five decades or so remains very popular in the music industry. This may be due to the fact that soul has had a huge impact upon other genres. Shuker defines soul as a â€Å"secular version of gospel, soul was the major black musical form of the 1960s and 1970s and remained evident in various hybrid styles since, for example, contemporary neo-soul and soul jazz (312). The history of soul music is notable for producing a range of artists who have assisted African-AmericanRead MoreMusic and Memory: The Impression of the Soul1985 Words   |  8 PagesFranz Liszt once said Music embodies feeling without forcing it to c ontend and combine with thought, as it is forced in most arts and especially in the art of words. If music has one advantage over the other media through which a person can represent the impressions of the soul, it owes this to its supreme capacity to make each inner impulse audible without the assistance of reason. Reason, after all, is restricted in the diversity of its means and is capable only of confirming or describing ourRead MoreMusic For The Soul By James Baldwin957 Words   |  4 Pages Music for the Soul It is a common belief that the nurture aspect of our personal development has a lot to do with the way we see ourselves and the habits we form due to our past experiences. Unfortunately for Sonny, as well as for many other African Americans throughout history, even before the 1950’s, oppression had been a great burden to deal with on a day to day basis. In â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† the author James Baldwin provides us with a family whose lives revolve around this constant reminder thatRead MoreThe Critically Acclaimed Muscle Shoals Documentary and Music Lovers990 Words   |  4 Pages (INTRODUCTION) Thanks to the critically acclaimed â€Å"Muscle Shoals† documentary, music lovers are finding their way to the small town in northwest Alabama where some of the world’s greatest hits were recorded. This was the very town where, at Rick Hall’s FAME Studios and the rival Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Aretha Franklin found her groove, Paul Simon developed â€Å"Kodachrome† and Wilson Pickett cranked up â€Å"Mustang Sally.† In the documentary, Mick Jagger, Steve Winwood, Percy Sledge and EttaRead MoreDemanding Rights From The Beginning : Franklin And Caillat Fight For Respect1140 Words   |  5 Pagesrelating these issues include â€Å"Respect† by Aretha Franklin (1967) and Try by Colbie Caillat (2014). Respect was originally written by Otis Redding (1965), but the reason I chose the Aretha Franklin version (1967) was to use her voice and her style of music to set and relay the theme of women s rights. Try is a Colbie Caillat (2014) original which is about being yourself no matter what society thinks of you. Most women obsess over their image because of how society has shaped us to think that we, asRead MoreThe Life of Aretha Louise Franklin723 Words   |  3 PagesAretha Louise Franklin also known as the Queen of Soul was born on March 25, 1942 in Memphis Tennessee. She is known for being a solo singer, and also a very talented pianist. Soul, RB, Jazz, and Gospel are genres that she sings. Th roughout her career she signed with Colombia Records and has released many popular singles that would now be considered classical. Aretha became the first female artist to be introduced into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame. Up until this day Aretha is still alive livingRead MoreThe Black Music : The Soul Of Black Folk1855 Words   |  8 PagesRepresent Many parts of music popular culture was created or directly influenced by Black music. Through the history of Black musical forms, each style represented a reality of the Black community, whether regionally or based on the time period and politics. Before enslaved Africans had the education to write their stories, they were told orally, often set to music. Highlighting the genius of a people, when there were ideas and stories that were adverse to those in power, Black people were ableRead MoreThe Identity Of Maxwell s Performance At The Verizon Center2210 Words   |  9 Pagesinfluencers have played a role in his development as a Neo Soul artist. First, I will give background on the artist and the genre he belongs to. Next, I will provide background on the concert, such as the venue. Then, I will discuss aspects of his performance that mainly embody Maxwell’s identity. Finally, I will conclude with an overview of how Maxwell’s performance depicts his identity as a sensual, Neo Soul artist. Soul music is a mix of RB, gospel, blues and jazz and originated in theRead More The Birth of P-Funk: George Clinton842 Words   |  4 Pages In ancient African civilizations music took precedence in all activities that the tribes participated in. There was a song for every celebration, every birth, and every death. As Africans were enslaved and moved to North America by Europeans, many customs and traditions followed with them. As their culture was stripped from them and European ideals were placed upon them, they kept song as their universal language and their link to the motherland. From early on, slave songs also known as â€Å"Negro Spirituals†