By lildifferent (130.39.110.148 - 130.39.110.148) on Saturday, September 28, 2002 - 03:27 pm:

I love the Marvin Gaye and all the other pioneers of soul music, but why are people seeming to abandon soul music. We have plenty of good soul artist now, like India Arie, who aren't getting their recognition. We are letting our music go. If anyone wants to learn more about todays sould music, especially India Arie, since she is my favoriter, visit http://teams.m80im.com/team/motown

By Bob Olhsson (68.32.101.228 - 68.32.101.228) on Saturday, September 28, 2002 - 06:17 pm:

I don't think young people are being exposed much to great live singing anymore. If they were, the musical landscape would probably be very different.

By KevGo (12.84.107.147 - 12.84.107.147) on Sunday, September 29, 2002 - 01:47 pm:

lildifferent:
While I understand your view about today's soul music being ignored I have to agree with Bob's response.
As late as the early 1990s there was some great soul singing and decent live performances. But with technology practically making it easier for those to just sample beats & song fragments, the recording industry (with cooperation from radio) figured out a way to "create" what is called music for not a lot of money, thus burying the art of being creative while seeing a windfall of profits.
Also, keep in mind that artists such as India.Arie are now the exception instead of being the rule which is sad. India's mother was a (later) member of Martha Reeves & the Vandellas so you know India better have some soul in her. While I was in Detroit I heard some damn good soul music and singing from current artists yet these folks aren't heard on the airwaves because radio is going for the audience with the most amount of dollars to spend to get the ad revenue(which is why NYC has three hip-hop oriented radio stations - Hot 97, Power 105 and - to an extent - the legendary WBLS-FM). Like I said, India's music - which gets more airplay on Top 40 pop stations than most of the remaining R&B and dominant hip-hop stations - is now sadly a rare breed.
As a record producer, oldies compilation director and (dare I use this term here) "musicologist," many of these new talented soul kids need to be exposed not only doing live performances but to the solid soul music of the past & present, from Detroit/Philly/Chicago/southern classics to folks such as Gerald Levert, Chaka Khan and India who are throwing down today. On top of that, the new kids need to be CHALLENGED to strive for the same level of excellence these artists have achieved. My late father said to me that if I wanted to be a classical singer (which as a youth I was studying) strive for the level of excellence Leontyne Price, Marian Anderson, Paul Roberson and the now-departed William Warfield achieved. Maybe if that happens and more people demand such music, you will see soul music grow like the rose in Spanish Harlem.
Regards,
KevGo