Rhythm and blues facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rhythm and Blues (R&B) |
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|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Jazz • Blues • Jump blues • Gospel • Traditional pop • Electric blues |
| Cultural origins | 1940s; United States |
| Typical instruments | Drum kit • Double bass • Saxophone • Horns • Piano - Organ • Electric guitar • Vocals • Background vocalists |
| Derivative forms | Soul • Funk • Doo-wop • Hip hop • Ska • Rocksteady • Reggae • Rock and roll • Electro • Post-disco • Urban • Hard bop |
| Subgenres | |
| Contemporary R&B • Smooth R&B • Slow jam • Neo soul • Hip hop soul | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Juke Joint blues • R&B punk • rockabilly | |
| Local scenes | |
| New Orleans R&B | |
| Other topics | |
| List of R&B musicians | |
Rhythm and blues, often called R&B, is a popular type of music. It mixes sounds from jazz, gospel, and blues. African American artists first created R&B in the 1940s. Today, people all over the world enjoy and perform this music.
What Is Contemporary R&B?
In the 1980s, R&B music started to change. Artists like James Brown and Prince added new sounds from funk and soul music. This led to a new style called contemporary R&B.
Today, contemporary R&B is a big part of American popular music. It blends elements of soul music, funk, pop music, and hip hop. Sometimes, people call it "urban contemporary" or "urban pop" music.
R&B in the 2000s
By the 2000s, it became harder to tell the difference between hip hop and R&B. The main difference was often whether the vocals were rapped or sung. R&B music started to focus more on single artists instead of groups.
Some of the most famous R&B artists in the 2000s included Usher, Beyoncé (who was in Destiny's Child before going solo), Ashanti, and Mariah Carey. Soulful R&B also stayed popular with singers like Alicia Keys, R. Kelly, John Legend, and Toni Braxton. Some R&B artists even added sounds from Caribbean music to their songs.
Related Music Styles
Images for kids
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Louis Jordan in New York City, circa July 1946
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The habanera rhythm shown as tresillo (lower notes) with the backbeat (upper note)
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Fats Domino in 1956
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Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley beat" is a clave-based motif.
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Ray Charles in 1971
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Ruth Brown was known as the "Queen of R&B"
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Eric Burdon & the Animals (1964)
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See also
In Spanish: Rhythm and blues para niños
