Funk Word Meaning

The word "funk", once defined in dictionaries as body odor or the smell of sexual intercourse, commonly has been regarded as coarse or indecent. 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 dance able. Funky typically described these qualities.(wikipedia)

There are so many different kinds of music throughout the world, even in this country alone. There’s rock and roll, hip hop, R&B, rap, soul, and many more. One of the most fascinating kinds of music that you might not be aware of is funk. Funk music is characterized by intensely syncopated, dance able rhythms with the emphasis falling heavily on the first beat of every measure prominent bass lines; a distinctive, razor-sharp type of rhythm guitar; chanted or hollered vocals in the style of soul music; powerful, rhythm-oriented horn sections; a strong emphasis on percussion, often including hand drums and other instruments as well as a drum kit; and African and jazz influences. Funk music was a major influence on the development of disco and, later, hip hop music.

There’s no real definition of funk, but here’s how one person described it funk a stew of jazz + blues + rock and roll + soul with a little gospel, hip hop, reggae and Latin added for spice with a message. That’s quite a definition with a lot of elements combined, but it seems to be the most fitting.

The sounds of funk began emerging in the 1960’s. It was a sign of the times. The 60’s were a revolutionary era with a very unsettled feel. It was then that the Vietnam War was being fought, and black leaders were pushing the idea of civil rights. People across the nation were aware and involved in the protests to allow rights to every person regardless of color. This explosive environment is what musicians of the time were experiencing, and what they ended up expressing in their music.

To some funk “is the soul of all Black music, past, present and future.” An authority on funk said that “funk is probably the most positive expression that we have had in a long time, not only about our music…but ourselves as a people. Funk epitomizes the successful end to the civil rights struggles of the 1960’s and signaled the dawning of a new beginning for Black folks in the 1970’s.” The 1970s was probably the era of highest mainstream visibility for funk music. Other prominent funk bands of the period included The Brothers Johnson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bootsy's Rubber Band, The Meters, Tower of Power, Ohio Players, The Commodores, War, Kool & the Gang, Confunkshun, Slave, Cameo, the Bar-Kays, Zapp, and many more.The upbeat and rich sounds