Imhotepean: James Brown transitions to the higher funky nation

Emil I Mondoa, MD

The first time I heard James Brown was in 1968, belting out, "I'm black and I'm proud" with a chorus of children no older than myself. God knows we needed to hear that, us African children all over the world. Brown's music immediately appealed to young people worldwide as the hippest, baddest, funkiest sound ever, totally in a class of its own. Some parent types disparaged the sound as "noise", because they could not find coherence in the lyrics, but they could not help but move their bodies to the infectious beat. James Brown was such an innovator that to many of us, there are two kinds of pop music: music before and music after JB. People who did not did not experience that transition, might hear a lot James Brown innovations in pop music and not realize it. Trust me, James Brown, the avatar of funk changed everything.

In traditional western music, melody leads rhythm in defining music. Brown's innovation is a quintessentially African idea, that rhythm can and does lead music. This idea, packaged professionally, backed by a crack band and spiced with disciplined and unprecedented energetic floor performances propelled him to world wide superstardom in the 1960s-1970s. His impact on popular music on the African home continent is everywhere to be found for those who know how to look.


Excellent Tribute Video from James Brown's 2006 Induction to the UK Hall of Fame:

There are important touches of Brown in the music of Fela and Manu Dibango. Talla Andre Marie had some good Brownlike sounds, including "Hot Koki" to which James Brown himself paid compliments by illegally copying almost in toto and releasing as "The Hustle". That is right, James swiped The Hustle from one of his best African disciples. Ekambi Brillant added some Brown touches to his stagecraft and his music, in the process transforming Makossa from Douala folk music into glitzy world music. The dominant funky bass of 1980s-90s makossa was pure James Brown and that heritage spawned some world class guitarists.

Some of the best tributes to James Brown I have found so far on the web:

Terry Gross's interviews with Brown, his biographer Bruce Tucker, his master saxophonist Maceo Parker and funky bass man Bootsy Collins.

MTV: the rap world, Snoop, Ice Cube and others pay tributes

When Brown was King: political side of the man.

He Made the World Funky: Slate article by Judy Rosen that captures my sentiments about James Brown. Rosen says, "forget Dylan and Elvis. James Brown was the most important American popular musician..."

Another smitten fan writer goes: There should be a Nobel for James Brown: What prize do you give to the man who split the funk atom?

Now, this is a funny video about one of JB's run ins with the law: