Soul was originated by African Americans in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It combines elements of African-American gospel music, R&B and jazz. Soul became popular for dancing and listening in the US, where record labels such as Motown, Atlantic and Stax were heavily influenced during the Civil Rights Movement. In involved catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps and body moves. Other characteristics of soul are a call and response between the lead vocalist and the chorus and an especially tense vocal sound. The style also occasionally uses improvisational additions, twirls and auxiliary sounds. The genre reflected the African-American identity and stressed the importance of an African-American culture. The new-found African-American consciousness led to new styles of music, which boasted pride in being black.
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