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Soul Music Essay

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Soul Music Essay
Outline and describe the development of Soul and Rap Music, including influential artists and songwriters, and the influence of this genre on the development of Afro-American Music.
You are to write an essay based on your research, with particular reference to the two designated works by Marvin Gaye and Tupac.

Soul music is a mixture of gospel with rhythm and blues. Although soul developed much earlier than 1950, it first gained popularity within the late 1950s and came to be called soul jazz which self-consciously used melodic figures or riffs derived from gospel music or folk blues. Soul has its roots in African-American culture and first made its appearance in the United States. Although soul music was a blend of gospel rhythms, it had appeared more secular rather than having a religious message.
Soul music is highly moving, and the type of rhythms allows soul singers to display a range of emotions in their performances.
The characteristics within this genre may include the following: * Use of Melismas * Melodic ornamentation * Rhythmic complexity * Use of horn sections * Improvised vocal styles * Harmonised backing vocals * Minimised back beat * Use of hand instruments such as finger snaps and/or hand claps * Use of call and response * Instruments from the Jazz Genre * Call and response
Marvin Gaye was born in Washington, D.C. on April 2nd, 1939 and died on 1st April, 1984. Marvin Gaye was named after his father, a minister of the Apostolic Church. Marvin would sing in his father’s church before he sang with Motown. The spiritual influence of his early years played a big role throughout his musical career. Marvin Gaye was raised with strict control of his father, Reverend Marvin Gaye Snr.
Marvin Gaye would often find peace within music during his childhood. He mastered the piano at a young age and also the drums. Marvin Gaye had an extraordinary range that spanned three vocal styles.
In 1970, he was

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