Soul
Soul is a musical genre that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s in the USA from a mixture of gospel, rhythm and blues (R&B) and jazz. It is characterized by emotional, powerful vocal performances and expressive lyrics that often deal with themes such as love, pain and social justice.
The soul sound is often accompanied by intense rhythms, horn sections and striking bass lines. Artists such as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding shaped the genre and made it internationally famous.
Soul music also played an important role in the civil rights movement in the USA. The genre continued to develop over time and influenced many other styles such as funk, disco and modern R&B.