The Lost Soul of Music

There is no easy way to say what I am about to say. I know it must have crossed your mind once or twice before. IS real talent a thing of the past? Let's take a look back.

THE LEGENDS OF SOUL MUSIC

Some of us are a little too young to remember hay day of some of the greats. But because their genius and influences are timeless we are able to experience them today. Remember Blues singer B.B. King? His vocal ability and artistry is unparalled even today. His talent is multi-faceted and his influence on today's musician is very deep rooted. Also, take into account other great artists such as Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, and Curtis Mayfield. The mere mentioning of their names brings about a feeling that these incredible artists,when in their prime, were the epitome of what music from the soul is.

This was the era of music when talent was everything. It was valued and coveted over physical beauty. When B.B. Janis, Curtis and Otis graced the stages the Music Industry didn't place such a high emphasis on what we call marketability today. The amazing talent and artistry of musicians during that time was the marketable product. Not so much physical beauty and scant wardrobes. These artist managed to soar to astronomical success and they even achieved legendary status without the modern day marketing ploys.

THAT was then.. THIS is now

Now more than ever the Music Industry seems to promote success through marketability instead of promoting success through individual talent and unique artistry. So called "artists" like Ashanti and Christina Milian have benefitted from this modern day ploy. They have sold millions combined with little or no vocal ability. They are the ones that are pushed to the forefront of mainstream media. They get the heavy airplay from your video networks and radio stations.

The Music Executives seem to realize the magic of beauty and talent. They also realize it's a hard combination to find. So, they find the beauty and engineer the talent in a high tech studio.

Meanwhile, it seems that indiviuals with REAL talent are taking a backseat. Artists like Kelly Price, Jahiem and Javier are not being pushed as hard as their aesthetically pleasing colleagues. One can't help but to logically deduct the negative impact this has on sales.

On a more balanced note, we do have artsists that have the coveted combination of beauty, talent and astronimical success. Take for example his royal purpleness-Prince. His mix of alluring androgony, Soul Music and sex appeal has earned him a place among legends.

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