Let's Get Funky!

Rhythmically enjoyable the origin of Funk music was made during the 1970s to 1980s, this was linked to African-American soul music and had developed later into the dance music that the public today takes pleasure in listening. With aggressive and robust bass lines, syncopated melodies and with the support of percussion rhythm this sort of combination would create what every modern funk musician would call, “groove.” (Vincent, 2018, para. 1).

Funk music has roots among other genres such as Jazz and R&B (Rhythm & Blues). Funk and Jazz before connected as a label to style had a different meaning. Funk was used to describing a body odor of an individual or the erotic scent while Jazz was used as an indecorous word during a professional or a polite conversation (New World Encyclopedia, 2017, para. 8).

Such sort of meaning of the genres had given support to the music that it is today. The implication was put together in the lyrical, melodious and the harmonic structure of the songs made. The words later replaced its previous means to the musical genres that are heard among the public today (New World Encyclopedia, 2017, para. 8).

While mentioned each instrument previously in the genre of Funk had a role to play with other instruments and to maintain a tight “groove.” Funk music at its fundamental structure of a song had more room to improvise and established prolonged catchy choruses. It did not maintain the classic verse of previous R&B song structure such as verse and chorus (Allmusic, n.d.).

Various artist and groups had risen to this type of music, and some of the major ones were during the 1960s were, Sly & the Family Stone, James Brown and further into the development of Funk music during the 1970s were Stevie Wonder, Parliament and Kool and the Gang (New World Encyclopedia, 2017, para. 1).

James Brown: Mr Dynamite (BBC, 2015)

Sly & the Family Stone (Sony Music Entertainment, n.d.)

During the 1980s Funk music had lost its flare to a degree where some instruments such as the horns were replaced by synthesizers and the complex structure and rhythm of the song were significantly reduced. These were the innovative fundamentals that gave Funk music its ecstasy and ambiance (New World Encyclopedia, 2017, para. 16).

Larry Graham (Cuffaro, 2014)

However, in recent times the elements of Funk music did stay alive. Larry Grahams slap bass technique that was once used became widely popular among other genres of music. Bands like Red Hot Chili Pepper, Rage Against the Machines, Primus and so forth rose and created a type of genre called Funk Rock and Funk Metal, these brought back the “groove” and also introduced various complexities and style. Hip-Hop music brought in samples of Funk music into play for inspiration as both the genres had a single goal, to keep the audience dancing. Artist like Jay-Z and OutKast are some prominent examples (New World Encyclopedia, 2017, para. 19, 21).

OutKast (Goodwin II, n.d.)

Primus (Stuffandthatreviews, 2017)

REFERENCES:

Allmusic. (n.d.). Funk. Retrieved from https://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/funk- ma0000002606

BBC. (2015). James Brown: Mr Dynamite [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b054v64w

Cuffaro, C. (2014). Larry Graham [Image]. Retrieved from https://cuffarohits.com/larry-graham/

Goodwin II, B. (n.d.). OutKast [Image]. Retrieved from https://blackamericaweb.com/2016/09/12/outkast-goodie-mob-more-perform-at-dungeon-family-reunion/

New World Encyclopedia. (2017). Funk. Retrieved from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Funk

Sony Music Entertainment. (n.d.). Sly & the Family Stone [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/sly-and-family-stone

Stuffandthatreviews. (2017). Primus [Image]. Retrieved from https://stuffandthatreviews.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/primus1.jpg

Vincent, R. (2018). Funk. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/funk