The ultimate live function soul band for weddings, parties and events

what is soul?

A Brief History:

Soul music is party music. It's dance music with energy and emotion. It's a blend of musical styles going back to the black workers of America's deep south.

One of the first musical styles to mix black, Creole and white music was jazz, and by the 1930s big-band swing-jazz had become America's most popular dance music. In the '40s some jazz bands started playing what was to be bebop and cool jazz for concertgoers. Others developed a more up-tempo dance music - the "jumping jive" - adding electric instruments and accentuating the rhythms. They also used blues chords and patterns. The result was Rhythm & Blues.

R&B influenced both white and black musicians. White country music developed into rock & roll; Bill Haley recorded "Rock Around the Clock" in 1955. In the black community, R&B mixed with gospel music and pop. The result was soul - a powerful brew of big-band horns, doo-wop vocal harmonies, and gospel's simple melodies and emotional delivery. In 1954 Ray Charles recorded "I Got a Woman". Some say this was the first soul record. By the '60s James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul" had developed a harder, funkier sound and the classic era of soul had begun.

The Motown label in Detroit popularised soul music with artists like Smokey Robinson, the Temptations and Marvin Gaye. In Memphis, Stax recorded a harsher, brassier style with Otis Redding, Wilson Picket and Sam & Dave. Other centres - Chicago, New York, Philadelphia - all developed their own variants.

Today, music lovers of all ages and backgrounds recognise and enjoy songs like "I Feel Good" and "Mustang Sally". Soul's popularity peaked in the 60s and 70s, but successive artists - such as Prince, Mary J. Blige, John legend and Angie Stone have continued to develop it.