Funk

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Funk is a distinct style of music originated by African-Americans, e.g., James Brown and his band members (especially Maceo and Melvin Parker), and groups like The Meters. Funk best can be recognized by its syncopated rhythms; thick bass line (often based on an "on the one" beat); razor-sharp rhythm guitars; chanted or hollered vocals (as that of Cameo or the Bar-Kays); strong, rhythm-oriented horn sections; prominent percussion; an upbeat attitude; African tones; danceability; and strong jazzy influences (e.g., as in the music of Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Eddie Harris, and others).

History

Origin of funk

African-American musicians originally applied "funk" to music with a slow, mellow groove, then later with a hard-driving, insistent rhythm — because of the word's association with sexual intercourse. This early form of the music set the pattern for later musicians: the music was slow, sexy, loose, riff-oriented and danceable. Funky was typically an adjective to describe these qualities. In jam sessions, musicians would encourage one another to "get down," by telling one another, "Now, put some stank ('stink'/funk) on it!" As least as early as the 1930s, jazz songs carried titles such as Mezz Mezzrow's Funky Butt.

The word "funk" commonly was regarded as coarse or indecent. As late as the 1950s and early 1960s, when "funk" and "funky" were used increasingly in the context of soul music, the terms still were considered indelicate and inappropriate for use in polite company.

The essence of African-American musical expression is rooted in spirituals, work chants/songs, praise shouts, gospel and blues. In more contemporary music, gospel, blues and blues extensions often flow together seamlessly. Funky music is an amalgam of soul music soul jazz and R&B.

James Brown and funk as a music genre

Only with the innovations of James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone in the late 1960s was funk regarded as a distinct genre. In the R&B tradition, these tightly rehearsed bands created an instantly recognizable style, overlaid with catchy, anthemic vocals. Often cueing his band with the command, "On the one!" Brown changed the rhythmic emphasis from the two-four beat of traditional soul music to a one-three emphasis previously associated with white musical forms -- but with a hard-driving, brassy swing. This pumping, one-three beat became a signature of classic funk. James Brown's 1965 Top 10 Mercury Records hit "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" is widely presumed to be the song that launched the funk genre; but much of Brown's work of the period, though remarkable, is structured around a series of rhythmic boilerplates. "Outta Sight," released a year earlier, clearly was the template for "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag."

1970s and P-Funk

In the 1970s, George Clinton, with his bands Parliament and, later, Funkadelic, developed a new kind of funk heavily influenced by jazz and psychedelic music. The groups had members in common and often are referred to singly as "Parliament-Funkadelic." The breakout popularity of Parliament-Funkadelic gave rise to the term "P-Funk," which both referred to the band and defined a new music genre.

"P-funk" also came to mean something in its quintessence, of superior quality, or sui generis, as in the lyrics from "P-Funk," a hit single from Parliament's album "Mothership Connection":

"I want the bomb. I want the P-Funk. I want my funk uncut."

The 1970s were probably the era of highest mainstream visibility for funk music. Other prominent representatives of the genre in the 1970s included Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham, Ohio Players, The Commodores, War, Earth, Wind and Fire, Mass Production, Slave, Lakeside, Midnight Star, Instant Funk and many more.

Funk music was exported to Africa in the mid to late 1960s, and melded with African singing and rhythms to form Afrobeat. Disco music owed a great deal to funk. Many early disco songs and performers came directly from funk-oriented backgrounds.

Recent developments

In the 1980s, funk lost some of its audience as bands became more commercial and music more electronic. Today, hip hop artists regularly sample old funk tunes. James Brown is said to be the most sampled artist in the history of hip hop. P-Funk also is sampled frequently—samples of old Parliament and Funkadelic songs formed the basis of West Coast G Funk. The 1980s also saw a wave of funk metal fusion bands, led by Faith No More and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

In Brazil, the word "funk" is used to denote a distinct genre of music, related to electro.

Note: Despite its name, Grand Funk Railroad is not a funk band; it is a straight rock band.

See also

• list of funk musicians
• The Funk Brothers

External links

Look up Funk in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

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