SOUL SOUND

A rhythm-driven musical genre popular in the 1970s and early 1980s that linked from another genre called soul to later African-American musical styles. Originated from the oral traditions terms as funk. It defies literal definition of the word because the usage varies depending on the circumstance. In a literal definition, the slang term, funky is used to describe one’s odour, unpredictable style, or attitude but in the musical genre, funk refers to a style of aggressive based on their urban dance music followed by hard syncopated bass lines, drumbeats and accented by any number of instruments involved in rhythmic counterplay, all working towards the same term popularly known as a groove.

The mentioned terms evolved through the influence of improvisation of jazz in the 1950s as a reference to a performance style that was a passionate reflection of the past experiences of the africans. For further explanation, the terms define the “unpleasant odours” as a metaphor and a symbol of their harsh reality which contains tragedy and violence, erratic relationships, crushed aspirations, racial strife as well as other flights of imagination that are expressed unsettlingly yet undeniable truths about their life.

Funk grew over the ages, very quickly among the African American community, and imposed itself over the national boundaries, thanks to some artists that made it popular. Rick James was the greatest Funk star between the 1970s and the 1980s and the man who took this genre to its essence again by making it move away from the predominant Disco Music. The artist introduced some punk elements inside this genre and he collected an impressive amount of hits over his career. A few other Funk artists can boast songs like Super Freak (U Can’t Touch This), Mary Jane, Give It To Me Baby and Bustin’ Out.