American Roots Music:Soul

The topic that spoke to me the most was Soul. Soul is music created by African American people in the 1950s and 1960s. It combines all the music of my cultural which include jazz, spirituals, and the blues. Growing up whenever I spent time with my grandparents this is all I ever heard. Which made me grow to love the music . It plays a huge impact on my focus as a musician now. Soul music originally started as upbeat gospel music. A perfect example of this would be a Ray Charles song I've Got A Woman it originally was I Got A Savior. This did not got to well with the church people they took it to be a little disrespectful. Another example would be the James Brown song Please, Please, Please which was about god but he instead changed it to make it seems as if he was begging to get his women back. Most black musicians were never trained through a actual music school do to segregation and privileges they didn't have access to but they made the most out of the situation. James Brown could not read music but he knew exactly what he wanted things to sound and feel like and what that he became the star he is known for today.

Since many black artist did not have the advantage of just walking into a studio or even performing  wherever they wanted. A man named Berry Gordy decided that he wanted to create a record label for black artist and there soul music. Which is so innovative and encouraging in the city Detroit, Michigan. He then begin to gather a team of instrumentalist, sound engineers, and songwriters and got to work. He created the Motown sound which turned into the Motown Record Label. This label is still going today a popular artist that you might know from this label is the Jackson 5 which was made of Micheal Jackson and his brothers. You must know that Soul is the genre but there are two different types. Northern Soul which has more of a jazzy feel with intention of the blues. I would encourage you to think of artist like Diana Ross and Etta James this music has and instant swaying feel to it. And Southern Soul my personal favorite it has a deep and smooth feel to it if you've grown up in a black church you can hear the similarities instantly. Artist such as Al Green, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder can really present you with this feeling.  

The genre of Soul music is still here today but has been rebranded as R&B. Don't worry no one is forgetting about these artist and their major accomplishments. There rhythms grooves are very present they are so unique you can usually can tell where the music originates from. You can hear this in artist like Luther Vandress, Whitney Houston, SWV, Maxwell, Lauren Hill , and my personal favorite D'Angelo. There is also something called Retro Soul when you hear new artist and sometimes think that sounds like Aretha Franklin or Diana Ross. A great example of that would be Lianne La Havas, Jasmine Sullivan, Amy Winehouse, and Leon Bridges. These artist have absolutely beautiful voices and you can feel the passion in the notes. 

Currently R&B and Neo Soul is still alive. You hear this in artist such as Brent Faiyaz,Frank Ocean, Solange, Kelala, Ari Lennox and so many others. Ari Lennox is a perfect example of soul. Her voice is absolutely  beautiful and if you close your eyes and listen you could her music being like Etta James. The music today has picked up a faster tempo and better sound quality the instrumentation is there. It's truly amazing to me that African American's had to form there on music and style do to all that history has put us through. And create music which started through spirituals and turned into this. It's being passed down generation to generation. I can't wait to see how music continues to grow with generations after us.