soul music

soul music. noun. : music that originated in black American gospel singing, is closely related to rhythm and blues, and is characterized by intensity of feeling and earthiness.

If rock and roll, represented by performers such as Elvis Presley, can be seen as a white reading of rhythm and blues, soul is a return to African American music's roots - gospel and blues. The style is marked by searing vocal intensity, use of church-rooted call-and-response, and extravagant melisma.

The phrase "soul music" itself, referring to gospel-style music with secular lyrics, was first attested in 1961. The term "soul" in African-American parlance has connotations of African-American pride and culture. Gospel groups in the 1940s and '50s occasionally used the term as part of their names.

Soul music was an expression of the collective African American experience. Performers of soul music communicated the black pride or racial awareness, which were dominant themes within the black community during the late 1960s. Musicians assumed the roles of spokespersons and the problems solvers of the community.

Soul Music cuts through our bodies and resonates off our bones; we feel it deep within our gut. You know it when you hear it. A more historic or tangible answer would be that it is a combination of Gospel and Doo-Wop music, dating back to the early 1950s.

In regard to structure, the A-B-A-B-C-B form was the most popular (verse – chorus – verse – chorus – bridge – chorus). All of the songs contain an intro, the majority feature a bridge, half contain a pre-chorus and outro, and none contain a prominent instrumental and/or vocal break within the mix.

Soul music “is a subgenre of R&B that emphasizes an…emphasis on the piano and drums versus guitars”. This speaks for it's self in that while they are similar in many ways, every genre is different. If it wasn't, there would be no genres!

Jazz and soul music Fans of jazz, soul, and even reggae are all outgoing and very creative people. These folks are adaptable and have a strong desire for new experiences. Fans of jazz and soul are also intellectual and have a high sense of self-worth.

Music is the soul of life and gives immense peace to us. In the words of William Shakespeare, “If music is the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die.” Thus, Music helps us in connecting with our souls or real self.

Soul music is characterised by:

• gospel influence - intense vocals, call and response.
• an emphasis on the rhythm section.
• large horn sections (trumpets, saxophones and trombones)

Its passionate vocalizing, powerful rhythms, and honest lyrics spoke directly to a generation of young African Americans, and soul music became synonymous with the social and political developments affecting them. Soul became popular as a distinctive style during the 1960s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1970s.

Typically brisk tempo around 120 bpm or faster, dance music. some slower tempo ballads. Strong use of vocal and instrumental hooks. Use of call and response.