American Roots Music

So I assume most people have heard this fantastic piece by the very famous Aretha Franklin, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, but not everyone, including myself before this, knows that this piece is actually soul music. And what exactly is soul music? Well, let me tell you a little something (maybe more than a little something) about it!

The origins of soul music began in the United States around the late 1950s, however, as an actual genre, soul music really emerged in the early 1960s due to the recruiting and support of Black artists from influential record labels. Roots of soul music lead back to traditional blues and gospel music of the Black church. African American musicians had been using the word "soul" to emphasize the feeling of being an African American in the United States. 

Characteristics of gospel music in the soul genre include song structure, a heavy backbeat, chord changes, and call-and-response vocals between a lead singer and a chorus. Sam Cooke and Ray Charles, who are considered to be a forefather and a pioneer of soul music, brought these characteristics into the creation of soul music. Charles is also the one who combined these traits with other traits of blues music. Harmonic language, searing vocal intensity, and melisma are all characteristics of blues music incorporated into soul music. As for the instruments of soul music, there is a specific emphasis on horn sections. Other instruments often involved are pianos/organs, guitars, drum kits, and stringed instruments, such as the bass. 

Now, we can't talk about soul music without mentioning its biggest significant contribution to the African American community during the Civil Rights Movement. During this time, the genre of soul was often used as protest music to communicate ideas of equality and pride to audiences inside and outside of the African American community. Soul music served as a way to bring together those alike and spread awareness on the issue of segregation and apartheid in the United States. 

This song, A Change Is Gonna Come, by the one and only Sam Cooke grew to be the Civil Rights Movement's anthem due to its expressions of the sufferings of African Americans. This music video specifically shows clips and images from the movement. The song and lyrics resemble Cooke's hope and confidence that the day will come when Black Americans will no longer be segregated in the U.S. and can live equally among the Whites in society. Contributing to the soul genre, you can definitely hear the horn sections displayed in this song. I also noticed stringed instruments being used, which I think helps convey the feelings and emotions trying to be expressed to the audience in this song. Furthermore, I find that the emotion, specifically frustration, that Cooke portrays reflects the traditional blues that are incorporated into soul music; singing about some type of conflict, whatever degree of seriousness that may be. 

To continue, here are examples/information about some more famous artists of soul music! 

Of course, we have to start at the beginning with some music from Ray Charles. I believe that this is the (or at least one of the) first soul songs that Ray Charles created. Charles actually emerged as a blues and jazz pianist, later successfully fusing the genres of blues and gospel music together to create soul music. Connecting back to the descriptions of soul, we can definitely hear the usage of horns/aerophones in the background, including a saxophone solo. Charles wrote this song with his bandleader after being inspired by the tune of a spiritual song he heard on the radio called It Must Be Jesus.

I Got A Woman has been covered and remixed by multiple artists, such as Elvis Presley and the Beetles!

Next, I want to include another song from Aretha Franklin, a.k.a the "Queen of Soul." 

Another popular song of hers that I love a lot. I think it has cute little short beats and a very addicting rhythm that makes you want to sing and dance along to it. This is a romantic, heartfelt song that encourages people to pray for their partners to express their love and strengthen the bonds of their relationship. There is a very obvious call-and-response aspect present in I Say A Little Prayer For You between Aretha Franklin and her background vocals, which I discussed earlier was an incorporated characteristic of traditional jazz music. 

Let's Stay Together is also a romantic love song made by Al Green, who was a popular artist of soul music (specializing mainly in smooth soul) for a short time in the 1970s. 

Ending with another very popular artist: Marvin Gaye, also known as the "Prince of Soul." Marvin Gaye has an exceptionally wide vocal range, which encompasses three different vocal styles-- a falsetto, a smooth mid-range tenor, and a deep gospel growl. Like many other soul music artists, Gaye started out singing in church when he was a kid. He also participated in a couple singing groups in his early career. As a solo artist, he used soul music to express social and personal concerns/stories. To this day, Marvin Gaye's songs, such as Ain't No Mountain High Enough and Let's Get It On, are still very common to hear.

Beforehand, I didn't even know what soul music was considered to be like. The research I've done on soul music, along with this completion of this blog, has made me realize there are so many iconic old-school songs I've heard that I never even knew were categorized as soul music. It was such an eye-opening experience to search "soul music" on YouTube and be surprised when I heard a song I knew already! There are so many musical genres from different cultures that I know nothing about and I plan to expose myself to more of those.  

Bibliography: 

- “Soul Music Guide: History and Sounds of Soul Music - 2023.” MasterClass,  

    www.masterclass.com/articles/soul-music-guide. 

- Paese, Meagan. “Soul Music.” The History of Rock and Roll Radio Show, thehistoryofrockandroll.net/soul-music/. 

- McGuinness, Paul. “A Change Is Gonna Come: How Gospel Gave Birth to Soul.” uDiscover Music, 26 Aug. 2023, www.udiscovermusic.com/in-depth-features/gospel-influenced-rhythm-n-blues/.

- “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Genius, genius.com/10930920. 

- “Al Green Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More.” AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/al-green-mn0000607448#biography. 

- “Marvin Gaye.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Marvin-Gaye.