Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Lost Soul
Have we lost the soul in Rhythm and blues? I think most people will answer yes to this question. They are absolutely correct. What is soul? Soul is defined as a spirit, the core, the essence of something. The definition reminds us that soul is in all of us and everything. Art, music, dance, teaching, singing, writing and just everyday work all contain soul. It’s the essence of human life. Soul in music can be taken further. Soul in Rhythm and Blues defines is meaning, makes the listener feel a certain way and to its core is pure and wonderful. As a music industry, we have lost the soul of Rhythm and Blues. If you sit and listen to the radio for one hour, you will find that I am not that far off base with this post. There are artists out there still trying to make pure soulful music. Jazmine Sullivan is one of the new artists out in the last year to put that “soul” in her music. However, most new artists coming out in 2008/2009 don’t have the understanding of the power of R&B. They don’t know the history, meaning or struggle of the music. They can’t tell you how “A Change Gone Come” was a Civil Rights favorite. They don’t understand the impact Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway, Mavis Staples, Stevie Wonder, and others had on black music. Regular black folks don’t get it either. Ask someone about Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly and Claudine soundtracks and they will look at you as if they had seen a ghost. Artists today such as Jeremiah, The Dream and Keri Hilson don’t understand the music that paved the way for their existence. You can tell in the music they produce. It has no meaning, feeling, essence or spirit to it. To me, rescuing the R&B industry must come now! It is imperative we allow the Anthony Hamilton’s, Joe’s, Syleena Johnson’s and Kenny Latimore’s of the world the opportunity to reap mainstream success. With mainstream success comes mainstream awareness. It shows other cultures, races and people that R&B is more than T-Pain and Beyonce. Or, maybe R. Kelly, Usher and Mary J. Blige can give us more of that soulful R&B sound. For example, Mary’s Share My World album is classic and soulful R&B. Usher’s 8701 is priceless. R. Kelly’s Chocolate Factory, TP2.com and R. Kelly albums all gave us substance with undeniable soul. They are mainstream R&B artists. They have diverse followings. They have the opportunity to give the world what R&B is missing: Soul. So, when I talk about “The Lost Soul” we have to understand what that means. It doesn’t mean that the artists are lost. It means that the music is lost but can be found.
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The music industry didn't lose soul...to be specific, the current gate keepers purposely threw out soul. To say the industry lost the soul is too broad and gives too much credit to the undeserving IMO...as if they were trying to preserve soul. The listeners are the ones losing out. The gate keepers are still listening to the real deal.
ReplyDeleteSoul music is still out there..it's just been dubbed "underground soul" (Yahzarah, Lalah Hathaway, Choklate, Jesse Boykins III, Rahsaan Patterson ... etc). Which is crazy. It's like soul music has been thrown in the dirt as if it is no longer significant. But it should defintely still be living in full effect in the mainstream.
And music isn't about what moves the soul anymore because the music is all about money (and the gate keepers make it apparent). That's the motivation for artists making music and since the listeners are repeatedly force fed (by the gate keepers) the same meaningless garbage, we lose more and more of our soul as time goes on. We forget...we are unaware of how soul music can define a movement...can uplift and TRULY inspire.
And technology has really made everybody lazy. No one wants to be creative or take a chance anymore. No one shows support anymore because technology makes everything too easy. That raw analog "orchestrated" sound of the 60s & 70s will always sound more soulful than the crisp clear digital sound.
Thanks Tamekia for your comments!!!! You are the best. I am not saying the industry lost soul but I think the mainstream R&B that is portrayed in the industry is lack-luster and not a good representation. Now, of course all music evolves and changes but notice the other genres. You wont be able to name another genre that has lost its original intent like R&B. Look at Rock, still the same. Pop, the same with a little more emphasis on Hip Hop, which is fine, Rap, evolved but still true to form. Jazz, the same. Country, the same. Classical music, the same. Gospel has evolved but it is still true to its artform. Blues has changed but still true to the core. R&B is the only form of music that feels as if it has been ripped apart from its core. From its soul. This is very ironic because R&B, Soul along with gospel and blues are the foundations of most forms of music. It's bad out there. I feel that the music now such as "Birthday Sex" are an embarrassment!
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to explain. I know exactly what you meant. And I agree that music in other genres has been preserved in the mainstream. All except Rap...and Hip-Hop is virtually non-existant in the mainstream. What's called Rap and Hip-Hop now isn't even watered down...it's vapors compared to the true essence of that genre. And Rap is an element of Hip-Hop. An there is very little out right now in the mainstream that can truly be considered as such. To some Hip-Hop isn't lost...Hip-Hop is dead.
ReplyDeleteBut I do believe Hip-Hop can return to its essence in the mainstream a lot quicker than R&B/Soul.
Rhythm & Blues (with particular emphasis on Blues)is either the foundation of every aspect of todays music or heavily influenced all genres. There would be no country music without Country Blues. Blues spawned Jazz and influenced Gospel (Gospel was initially ignited with slaves singing work songs). Rock-n-Roll spawned from Blues. Rock-n-Roll later elevated to Rock and Pop. And there would be no Hip-Hop without Blues and Jazz.
In order to evolve you have to have a blueprint...a starting point and take it from there. So in order to find the lost soul we must go back to basics.
It's a shame that few artists, gatekeepers, and consumers care enough to preserve music.
And the adults of today (you and I) are NOT teaching the youth that Birtday Sex is not real R&B. We're too busy in the club doing the Stanky Leg with 21 yr olds.
I hated when my mother put on Bobby Blue Bland and made me sing and dance with her. Now I understand why she did that. I love Earth, Wind & Fire to this day because their music was always playing when I was a kid and I remember how it made everyone feel...happy.
To get that feeling back again...wow. I believe it will happen.
Good point. It starts in the home with everything I guess. I grew up on Soaps because my mother watched them. Now, I don't watch them but I am a reality tv junkie. I grew up on certain types of music, food, etc. So you are right, how can we tell our younger generation that something isnt real R&B when we are right there with them doing the "Soldier Boy"!
ReplyDeleteYeah...it really is on us (the adults and not just the parents). We're doing a lousy job with these kids.
ReplyDeleteBut I also believe that's because our generation (those of us born in the late 60s and the 70s) was the first generation who came up without any identification with a REAL struggle, so we weren't held accountable for a lot.
Our parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents fought for justice...died for equality...and demanded equality. And the youth back then were fighting harder than the adults because they had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Have you ever noticed that some of the best and most timeless music came out of struggle (the Civil Rights Movement)?
Now is really a good time to make some awesome R&B because we are in a recession. People are barely scraping by.
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