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MUSIC AS A CULTURAL ARTIFACT
Funk - Music as a Cultural Artifact
Funk - Music as a Cultural
Artifact
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FUNK - MUSIC AS A CULTURAL ARTIFACT
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Funk is a music genre dated to the late 20th century as a mixture of African American
soul music and a profound syncopated beat. It evolved in the 1970s and 1980s as a unique genre
that incorporated the strong African beats and rhythmic traditions with those of the American
gospel genre. Funk focused more on the instrumental sounds rather than the singer's voice, with
aspects of Jazz in it. This genre's performance often included chromatic movement with subtle
side-steps or quick moves, Hammond organ solos, grooving riffs of electric guitars, virtuosic
bass lines, and heart-pounding drum rhythms (Wildrigde, 2020). The name funk was adopted
from its English, meaning unpleasant odor, to describe the harsh realities of African Americans,
including violence, tragedy, racial strife, crushed dreams, and broken relationships (The Funk
Hall of Fame, 2016). The two-funk music selected for this analysis includes "Got to Give it Up"
by Marvin Gaye and "Papas Got a Brand-New Bag" by James Brown.
"Got to give it up" was a song recorded in 1977 as part of the live album labeled Marvin
Gaye Live at the London Palladium. Initially, it was a 12-minute song but was then edited to four
minutes. As a leader in his band, Gaye was often assisted by his label-mates, Frank Beverly of
Maze, his second-wife Janis Hunter, and his brother Frankie Gaye (Song facts, 2020). The
astounding sounds of the electric guitar and drums are accompanied by people talking in the
background from the performance. This is to back up the message on the song regarding a party
and merrymaking. It incorporates numerous elements of the 1950s shuffle rhythm, where the
drum sets the rhythm. After the recording in 1977, Aaliyah produced a cover in 1966 in her
album One in a Million. The song has also been used in films such as Charlie's Angels (2000)
and Boogie Nights (1998).
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The song is about the irresistibility of groove music, as a space of freedom, romance, and
loosening of personal boundaries. It arouses jovial emotions, as if all walls have been torn down,
leaving a lot of space for souls to mingle and minds to loosen up.
"Papa's Got a Brand-New Bag" was a seven-minute song recorded in 1965, amidst a
contact battle with his record label King Records, as well as the long-awaited Emancipation
Proclamation. The song was then cut to different versions and sped up to suit the audiences. The
vocal version of the song was at number 8 in the top 10 Godfather of Soul list. The song won the
1965 Grammy for Best R&B Recording and was later nominated from the Grammy Hall of
Fame. James Brown's band included Maceo Parker, the sax player, Jimmy Nolen, the guitarist,
and Melvin, the drummer. Other artists who have recorded the song include Pat Boone, Pigbag,
and The Ventures.
In the song, James Brown speaks of a "brand new bag." This is slang for having
something new, or that something new was motivating him (Bindert, 2000). Brown was indeed
onto something new in terms of his music genre. In the song, he incorporates subtle guitar
signature strums, well-orchestrated breaks, and horn interjections that yielded a smooth-flowing
melody. In a single word, it was 'groovy.' The song makes me excited and elevates my mood.
Funk is not only a music genre but an aspect of popular culture. It was an avenue for
African Americans to express their desire for freedom, break free for their unfortunate realities,
and dance to music like nobody is watching. While later merged to become Jazz, funk stands out
for its subtle instruments.
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References
Bindert, D. (2000, July 29). 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag'. The NPR 100.
https://www.npr.org/2000/07/29/1080113/npr-100-papas-got-a-brand-new-bag
Song facts (2020). “Got to give it up” by Marvin Gaye. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/marvingaye/got-to-give-it-up
The Funk Hall of Fame (2016). The origins of funk. https://www.thefunkcenter.org/history/
Wildridge J. (2020, July 27). Characteristics of Funk Music: An Introduction. CMUSE.
https://www.cmuse.org/characteristics-of-funk-music/