导言：“打从我出生, 音乐就在我的内在滋长 , 音乐就是我身体的一部分 , 像是我的血液一样。”从被冠以“灵乐”之父称号的RayCharles这句话中，你也许会体会到SoulMusic的所要表达的至‘灵’之境。想了解灵魂音乐，那就从下面灵魂音乐产生及特性的部分截选信息入手吧。

Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the United States in the 1950s and early 1960s. It combined elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and blues, and often jazz. Soul music became popular for dancing and listening in the United States and across the world, directly influencing rock music and the music of Africa.

According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is “music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying”.Catchyrhythms, stressed by handclaps and extemporaneous body moves, are an important feature of soul music. Other characteristics are a call and response between the soloist and the chorus, and an especially tense vocal sound. The style also occasionally uses improvisational additions, twirls and auxiliary sounds.

Ray Charles is often cited as popularizing the soul genre with his string of hits starting with 1954's “I Got a Woman”. Singer Bobby Womack said “Ray was the genius. He turned the world onto soul music. ”James Brown was known as the “Godfather of Soul”. Sam Cooke became popular as the lead singer of gospel group The Soul Stirrers, before controversially moving into secular music. His recording of “You Send Me” in 1957 launched a successful pop career, and his 1962 recording of “Bring It On Home To Me” has been described as “perhaps the first record to define the soul experience”. Jackie Wilson, a contemporary of both Cooke and James Brown, also achieved crossover success in 1957 with “Reet Petite”, and was particularly influential for his dramatic delivery and performances.

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编稿：戴远君

更多相关信息也可参阅：

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_music

2. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/555198/soul-music