Music that penetrates into all corners of the soul and creates a whirlwind of emotions inside. She plays about the heart, moral values and inner peace. All notes add up to wonderful compositions that make you want to move, think, travel and love. That's what soul is in music.
Terminology
Soul is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the southern United States of America in the fifties. The post-war period needed some changes and innovations. The basis for this was rhythm and blues and gospel (gospel solo singing of African Americans). This style is distinguished by a strong emotional beginning and the presence of blues motives in the melody.
In order to understand what soul is, you need to figure out what characteristic stylistic features the genre has:
- Bending - applying bending in all parts of the melody to the main tone.
- Dirt-tone - sound instability and forced dynamics.
- Shout - the use of shouting in singing.
- Off-pitch.
- Yodel is an element of Tyrolean performance.
- Subtone - aspirated singing or muffled saxophone playing.
A short definition of what soul is in music is feelings and experiences captured in a song. Why did this style arise and what do the performers want to convey? The answers are worth looking for in a long history.
Historical reference
The sixties were a time when few people asked what soul was. This genre represented the most popular trend in African American music. Then rhythm and blues and jazz were already "occupied" by white people, so African Americans decided to prove themselves in a new sphere. This style was considered their identification, business card.
Soul demonstrated symbolic-biblical themes and current political issues in the modern world. A Change Is Gonna Come Aretha Franklin is a prime example of the struggle for their own rights and freedom. Therefore, soul was not only about music, but also about the desire to take a clear position in society and defend one's rights.
With the activation and popularization of soul, different visions began to develop, and subsequently schools:
- southern "Memphis" soul with virtuoso instrumental playing, pronounced rhythm and direct connection with its predecessor - the blues. Outstanding representatives Otis Reddin, Isaac Hayes, Al Green;
- North "Detroit" soul - a commercial version with a focus on black and white audiences. Among the legendary performers, it is worth noting Jackson 5, Diana Ross, and others.
With the development and success of the second school by the seventies, many already knew the definition of what soul is in music. The "white" side began to work in this genre: Joe Cocker, Elton John and David Bowie. Therefore, soul was divided into "blue-eyed" (white-skinned performers) and "brown-eyed" (African American singers).
Updated version
What is soul with a new twist? Since the eighties soul has been sharing the throne with funk. During this period, there is a synthesis in all sorts of variations of sensual and slow transitions with a fast and elusive rhythm.
Whitney Houston is also called the most successful soul performers at that time. They stood out with their sophisticated and gentle love ballads. Every sound and beat is thought out flawlessly, so one gets the impression of an emasculated emotionality. Michael Jackson and George Michael emphasized funk, although many attribute them to the ranks of pure soul artists.
In their albums, there is no classic soul, where, instead of the ideal sound, there was truth and the soul was reflected. Modern soul should be called a very vague term urban (broadcast format of radio stations).
Quiet Storm
The next stage in the evolution of soul - 80s - mid 90s. Quiet Storm represents American pop music that has targeted a wide variety of radio formats. Quiet Storm was called a commercial variety of a very light and catchy rhythm and blues. The direction was distinguished by its glossy sound and the absence of any "mistakes".
Outstanding performers:
- Toni Braxton;
- Mariah Carey;
- Luther Vandross.
But the clean notes over time began to give way to the aggressive beats of hip-hop. The combination of rhythmic reading, thuds and classic soul spawned a new trend that is still popular today - neosoul.
Neosoul
The late nineties and early 2000s are characterized by a resurgence of interest in the soul classics (especially Al Green). The pioneers on the neosoul road are the guys from the famous trio The Fugees. The group subtly points out the shortcomings and pathos of Quiet Storm in some of their own compositions. Alisha Keys, in turn, has masterfully combined elements of hip-hop, jazz vocals and classical motives in her albums.
Despite the fleetingness of time, street dancers, old-school establishments and atmospheric bars are returning to the classics of soul to this day. Therefore, if you want to be inspired by soulful African American music, then you should include Ray Charles, Sam Cook, Tina Turner and Bill Withers. You can't go wrong with a playlist like this.
A lot has been written about soul. And, nevertheless, this is such a complex and multifaceted concept that it is not a sin to speak about it again. Objective information is not always found, often it is overly politicized or replete with inaccuracies and some paradoxes.
In this article in the cycle about the vocal style "Soul" we will talk about its historical roots and why, in fact, this music was called that.
Firstly, I must say right away that soul is vocal music. In contrast, for example, from jazz or rock, where, along with vocal compositions, there is a huge number of purely instrumental ones. The vocals in soul take the most important place.
Historically, in the United States, where slavery persisted in the southern states (Confederations) before the Civil War of 1861-1865, the culture of the black population differs significantly from the culture of the “white” population, the descendants of European immigrants. The perception of the Christian religion and the attitude towards God among African Americans is somewhat different from that of white Christians. This was reflected, in particular, in the religious chants of gospel songs that accompanied church masses conducted by black preachers.
They had practically nothing in common and have nothing to do with the religious hymns sung at services by the "white" parishioners and often turned (and are still turning!) echoes him with no less enthusiasm and exaltation. And all this happened before (in the 18th - 19th centuries) a capella, because the traditional Hammond organ for gospel music had not yet been invented, and there were no other instruments in the services.
Harlem Gospel Choir “Amazing Grace”
This is where balting originated. Vocalists were not trained in classical vocal schools and had no idea about the need to mix registers, "positions" of sound, articulation, cover, "mask", and so on ... But, reaching frenzy, naturally strong voices managed to rise prohibitively high without breaking voice, but they praised God, sang about love for him among the audience, which fully answered their message and "turned on", as at much later rock concerts! The skill gradually turned into a tradition that developed on its own, completely out of touch with the rest of the musical world.
Yolanda Adams “Order My Steps”
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, jazz was born and began to gain momentum, the founders of which were also black musicians. But, of course, for a very long time jazz was instrumental music, vocals appeared in it much later. Like gospel vocalists, jazzmen did not use musical notation, performing works on a whim, so improvisation became a distinctive feature of both types of music and the other.
The inability to record your music with notes, multiplied by the intuitive perception of the harmony of sound and the African melodic "roots" of the psychology of musicians, ultimately led to the birth of a completely new and unusual structure of melodies replete with melismas and passages that European traditional music still cannot put on musical notation. However, this is no longer necessary.
Today, the main way of distributing music is direct - recorded and made available to others to hear. However, in the first half of the twentieth century, gramophone recording (and then there were no other ways) was an expensive pleasure, it was completely unrealistic for poor and, in general, disenfranchised "black" performers to achieve that a disc with your music was recorded and replicated. It is no coincidence that until the second half of the twentieth century the term "racial music" existed, to which the white population referred to "black" music. Well, it happened in History, let's not delve into the political and social background.
At the same time, it must be said that the black descendants of slaves sang far from only in churches. The main way VOCAL the expression of their feelings was the blues, which was also the basis of early jazz.
Bessie Smith “Sometimes”
And with the growth of the possibilities of the technology of gramophone recording and its reduction in price, there appeared an opportunity for talented "village" "black" musicians to "preserve" their music on carriers - gramophone records. And they reached out to American cities, working, often with whom they had to, earning money not only for a living, but also for the opportunity to make their music available on record. It is clear that they were driven not only by altruistic emotions, they were guided by money (as they did the promoters, agents, producers of those years, because no one would act without relying on profit). In addition, at the beginning of the 30s, a terrible crisis broke out in the United States, and unemployment was monstrous.
In those days (30s - 40s of the twentieth century) these musicians could perform only in clubs, restaurants and dance floors, do not forget about discrimination, the black population was then "below the bar" in many respects. Louis Armstrong, jazz star is just an exception to the rule. However, the very appearance of black performers “on the stage” speaks volumes, which means that even then they were carrying a “new stream” into the established order, diluting it with a fresh and unconventional musical idea.
Moreover, progress in those years was torn forward by leaps and bounds, and already at the end of the 30s the first instruments on "electric" traction appeared - electric guitars (invented, by the way, in Hitler's Germany), Lawrence Hammond's organ (in 1935), now inextricably associated with gospel. And the so-called German recorder appeared, which enormously simplified the recording process, and then allowed African Americans to found recording studios (for example, Atlantic, Chess, Specialty, Modern).
Mahalia Jackson “Nobody Knows The Trouble I" ve Seen "
Here is an example of Jackson's song in full, pay attention to how it is similar to rock and roll (in the second half), or rather, rock and roll is similar to the rhythms of R&B.
It is difficult to say why the "procession" of electric sound began with the guitar, because the guitar is a chamber instrument, its sounding in terms of power and strength cannot be compared with other instruments popular at that time - winds, grand pianos, drums ... Even the violin the guitar loses in "audibility" in an ensemble with other instruments. Everything that was previously sung with a guitar is precisely the "quiet" individual vocals - romances, serenades, blues ...
One way or another, the birth of the electric guitar gave impetus to music in general. She has changed. At first it is elusive, and then more and more going into something else SOUND collective of musicians. The main spokesperson for the newborn R&B was Louis Jordan, who, with his small group, began experimenting with blues based on uncomplicated lyrics, with a touch of irony, and rhythm accompaniment inspired by Boogie woogie... So traditional for pre-war times big bands (orchestras for performing popular dance music) turned into just bands - groups of 4-5-6 performers, whose sound power was more than enough for a dance hall. Here they are - the roots of rock bands!
Rufus Wainright, Chaka Khan "You've Got The Love"
At the same time (from the 30s) began to gain strength and vocals in jazz. There was no talk about soul yet, so the origins of jazz vocals are completely different, the voice in jazz is an equal instrument, along with the saxophone, trumpet, double bass, piano, guitar ... This is not the "basis" of the composition, but only one of the other pictorial variants. That is why the vocal reception is so strong in jazz SKET as an imitation of the instrumental part. Moreover, scat is based on the same harmonic laws as jazz in general. And, at the same time, it has its own vocal rules.
Scat improvisation in the classroom
And here is an excerpt of a scat performed by a famous master, soul vocalist, jazzman.
George Benson “One More Time”
You need to understand that the (American) world at that time also became different. The won war, huge money that came to the United States, a sharp rise in the standard of living of ordinary people (and blacks as well!), A technological breakthrough have changed a certain psychological and social “attitude”. And the music (popular) reacted by offering a beat sound. Bit, in the sense of - rhythmic, where the rhythm of the drums began to be supported by the rhythm group (bass, guitar), creating the beginnings of modern "drive". But traditions do not change immediately, so only in the late forties, the changes that took place in music were characterized by the word "rhythm and blues".
The precise definition of the term R&B is accredited by Jerry Wexler, responsible for the discography classification of the American magazine Billboard(1947): R&B clearly derived from blues a popular musical style born from the fusion of folk chants from the cotton fields of the southern "hinterland" of the United States, religious chants (gospel) and ragtime.
B.B. King "Whole Lotta Love"
And in this new "style" the role of "black" musicians was already completely different! Let's just say that the music community much earlier accepted "racial music" as an equal partner than society as a whole. The art of "black" musicians has already occupied a giant segment in the heads of their "white" counterparts.
"Rhythm and blues" has become a phenomenon that is now adequate to the Russian concept of "stage", but only in the sense CONCEPTS, the music is completely different. Simply, as in the concept of "stage", this phenomenon was a potential "soup" from which a lot could be born (and was born) in the coming years. In the mid-50s, from this broth came rock and roll, which is considered to be a "white" reading of the potential of rhythm and blues, and, later - rock, the younger brother of rock and roll.
Well, gospel music seriously took part in the "black" reading, which did not go anywhere, and continued, for the time being, to be indirectly from secular music, being a religious phenomenon.
And his "manifestation" became the "act of conception" of soul!
As always, conception occurs BEFORE birth, but in the sense of soul - who knows exactly when it happened in the head of Ray Charles, who is considered the founder of this style. Actually, Charles, being, apparently, a much more secular person than many of his "tribesmen", sang the famous prayer " My jesus is all the world to me”(“ My Jesus is the whole world for me ”), replacing the words and putting them on the rhythm and blues rhythm. The song turned out " I've Got a Woman"(" I have a woman "). Maybe he wanted to say in this way that this woman for him is his God? But, again, who knows what the musician wanted to say ...
Ray Charles "I" ve Got a Woman "
It happened in 1955, but it was perceived ... To put it mildly, negatively. And it didn't go into circulation. But the idea remained! Apparently, not everyone did not like it! And, first of all, Ray Charles himself was not going to “stop there”. And the opportunity to get something new in the then existing musical host was already in the air, developing in the "womb" - in the heads of the musicians!
The act of birth took place in 1959 with the appearance of the single " What would i say", Which was released and sold as many as a million copies! Soul has entered the world of music! And this was facilitated by the direct commercial component, because a specific financial "exhaust" was received. So money played a very significant role in the birth of soul, there would be no success, the style might not have been born, or it might have been born later, and someone else would be considered its ancestor. For example, Sam Cooke. But it happened as it happened.
Ray Charles “What Would I Say” Part II
As for the name ... In almost all texts about soul, you can find information of a terrifying nature: during the period of slavery, the white slave owners agreed with the "white" church not to consider black slaves as people, since, allegedly, they have no soul, which means that this is a certain a kind of animals that can be exploited and even killed with impunity (from the point of view of the commandments).
Well, in the Orthodox world of Russia, slavery (serfdom) was also abolished at about the same period as in the United States - in 1861. True, in our country it was forbidden to kill our serfs ... And no one took their souls away.
Unfortunately it's true. And the black inhabitants of America remembered such a blatant perversion for a long time, for generations ... And having remembered, they began to call each other souls, "souls", as now in Russia, for example, they say to each other "brother", "bro." In the word "soul" in this sense there is a certain slang component. Not humiliating, but distinctive.
That is why soul was called that way, and not at all because it is soulful or even “spiritual” music. Soul is black music! Written in black and for black! At first ... But everything changed over time, soul marching triumphantly.
So, the origins of soul - in gospel. We'll talk about this in more detail in the next article.
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JazzPeople talks about the most popular singers of the 1950s and 80s who drew inspiration from jazz and blues. The best soul performers were the idols of millions, their music is danceable and melodic, it sounded in every home.
James Brown
James Brown was also known as the Godfather of Soul and the hardest working person in show business. Brown was a pioneer in R&B and soul music and set the highest level of excellence. The singer died in 2006.
His No. 1 R&B hits include 1958's Try Me, Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, the songs I’m Black & I’m Proud and The Payback.
Brown was not only an excellent vocalist, but also an amazing dancer and performer. He has directly influenced the stage shows of numerous stars including Michael Jackson and Prince.
Aretha Franklin
is widely regarded as the Queen of Soul and is one of the most influential singers in the history of music. She recorded a large number of songs in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Her hits include Respect, Chain of Fools, Something He Can Feel, Jump to It and Freeway of Love. They all topped the Billboard R&B chart from the mid 1960s to the mid 1980s.
No one in the world can match her vocal prowess and versatility. Few artists are as revered as she is.
Stevie Wonder
Is one of America's greatest singers. He recorded his first single Fingertips (Pt. 2) in 1963 as a teenager.
Since then, the charts have filled I Was Made to Love Her 1967, Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours 1970, I Just Called to Say I Love You 1983.
Wonder has recorded over 30 of the greatest hits in the United States and won 25 Grammy awards. On the recordings, he performed the parts of almost all instruments, and he did it masterly. Stevie Wonder was a follower of Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, and became a symbol of the utopianism of the 60s.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross achieved success in the 1960s as a member of the girl group The Supremes, then she rose to even greater heights as a solo artist. Her solo hits include Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Love Hangove and Endless Love with Lionel Richie.
Ross was one of the first African American girls to work in the popular R&B genre. She was the epitome of chic and the standard of a female soloist. Her acting in the films Lady Sings The Blues and Mahogany is also brilliant.
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye was one of the greatest musicians of the 70s. His life was tragically cut short in 1984 by the hand of his father. Marvin has recorded many hits, the most famous being What’s Going On, Let’s Get It On, Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing and You.
Besides the themes of religion and love, Gay raised civil and political topics. Musicians who worked with Motown Studios were forbidden to talk about social issues in their work. Gay believed that his talent was higher than simple dance music. He recorded and produced What's Going On himself. In it, he speaks openly about the Vietnam War, discrimination, and other problems of society.
Ray Charles
just called "Genius". Blind from the age of 7, the musician excelled in R&B, rock and roll, country, gospel, blues and pop music. His career spanned the late 40s and lasted until 2004.
The most famous hits include I Got A Woman, The Night Time (is the Right Time), Hit The Road, Jack, and Georgia On My Mind. Charles has 17 Grammy awards.
Ray Charles' journey from the poorest slums of South Florida to the largest mansion in Beverly Hills ran through difficulties and blows of fate.
Smokey Robinson
Smoky Robinson is one of the icons of American music. He began his career with the vocal group The Miracles in the early 1960s and continues to record new music.
His # 1 hits with The Miracles include Tears of a Clown and I Second That Emotion. As a solo artist, he reached the top of the Billboard R&B charts with Being with You and Baby That’s Backatcha.
Robinson was one of the key artists on Motown Records, as well as composer and producer of several hits for The Temptation and Marvin Gaye.
Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie began his career as a vocalist for the Commodores in 1968 and later became one of the most successful solo artists in history.
Richie had 11 # 1 singles on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, five # 1 R&B hits and 5 # 1 singles on the Hot 100. He also reached 1 platinum and 4 gold singles.
Richie wrote, produced and recorded the greatest duet of all time Endless Love with Diana Ross. He also co-wrote the charity anthem We Are The World with Michael Jackson.
Prince
was one of the most influential and successful musicians of his time. His career spans from 1976 until his death in 2016.
His # 1 singles include When Doves Cry, Let’s Go Crazy and Batdance. In 1985, he received an Oscar for Best Purple Rain Soundtrack. Like all pop stars, he formed not only musical tastes, but created a unique image of an artist.
Al Green
Al Green is a great vocalist of soul and gospel music, without his name it is impossible to imagine the article "Best Soul Performers". Greene was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. His songs Let’s Stay Together, I’m Still In Love With You and Love and Happiness are great pieces of music.
Since his 1967 debut, Al Green has released over 30 albums, including 1 platinum album and 4 gold albums. His work has influenced Marvin Gaye, Prince and Justin Timberlake.
Chaka Khan
The artist's real name is Yvette Marie Stevens, she began her career as a vocalist in the 1970s with the funky and R&B group Rufus. While working in the band, the hits were the songs Tell Me Something Good and Sweet Thing.
As a soloist, Chuck is known for the hits I’m Every Woman, I Feel For You and Through The Fire. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and received 10 Grammy awards. In her later years she collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles.
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Soul (from the English soul - "soul") is the most emotionally felt, "soulful" trend of popular music of black people in the United States (rhythm and blues), which developed in the southern states of the United States in the late 1950s ... Read all Soul (from English soul - "soul") is the most emotionally felt, "soulful" trend of popular music of black people in the United States (rhythm and blues), which developed in the southern states of the United States in the late 1950s under the influence of the tradition of jazz vocal improvisation and spirituals. Music critics consider the earliest example of soul "I’ve Got a Woman" - a song recorded on November 18, 1954 in Atlanta by Ray Charles. Other major recordings of early soul music are Please Please Please by James Brown (1957) and Georgia on My Mind by Ray Charles (1960). In the 1960s, soul became the most popular form of black music. This was due to the struggle of African Americans for their rights: such key recordings as "A Change Is Gonna Come" had both symbolic-biblical and actual-political sound. The brightest representatives of the southern soul of the sixties - Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding and James Brown - were involved in a social movement led by Martin Luther King. In the more commercially oriented soul of the sixties, several directions are distinguished, the most important of which are the so-called "Memphis" (Booker T. & the MG "s, Al Green) and" Detroit "soul (Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gay). intended not only for black, but also for white audiences in the northern states of the United States, were Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson - president and vice president of the powerful label Motown Records. An experimental approach to soul music of the mid-1960s is presented by producer Phil Spector, who participation in their ambitious projects of "soul symphonies" not only blacks (Tina Turner), but also white musicians (duet The Righteous Brothers). those years there was a soft "Philadelphia" soul, which is distinguished from classical soul by sophisticated, juicy arrangements and the introduction of funk elements. Many white musicians of European descent (Van Morrison, and in some cases Elton John and David Bowie) were also invited - Americans ironically call their soul "blue-eyed". Since the early 1980s (Prince's work) soul has experienced a new upsurge, becoming, along with funk, one of the main commercial standards of the renewed rhythm and blues. In the late 1990s, when interest in classical soul revived, a retrospective direction of "neo-soul" emerged (Lauryn Hill, Erica Badu, Alisha Keys, John Legend). Collapse
