stylistic origins: Soul music with a more pronounced beat and influences from Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, Psychedelic Rock
cultural origins: Mid to late 1960s, United States
Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid to late 1960s when African-American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony, and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground. Unlike R&B and soul songs, which had many chord changes, funk songs are often based on an extended vamp on a single chord.
Like much of African and Latin-inspired music, funk typically consists of a complex groove with rhythm instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass, Hammond organ and drums playing interlocking rhythms. Funk bands also usually have a horn section of several saxophones, trumpets, and in some cases, a trombone, which plays rhythmic "hits".
Influential African-American funk performers include James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, George Clinton, Parliament-Funkadelic, Curtis Mayfield, The Meters, The Funk Brothers, Bootsy Collins, and Prince. Notable 1970s funk bands included Earth, Wind & Fire, Tower of Power, Average White Band, The Ohio Players, The Commodores and Kool & the Gang, though many of these most famous bands in the genre also played disco and soul extensively.
Funk music was a major influence on the development of 1970s disco music and funk samples are used in most styles of house music and hip-hop music. It is also the main influence of Go-Go. Funk even left its mark on New Wave and its pulse was evident in post punk as well.
