Top 3 Reasons Soul Music Keeps Making a Comeback

Boston, MA, March 11, 2016 --(PR.com)-- In an industry that is built on the mythology of trends and "new sounds," Soul, Funk & Blues keep revolving back into the limelight. Each wave ushered in by a pantheon of iconic artists and groups. Such is the case with The GroovaLottos, a bar and party band from New England, serving up a special blend of soul-funk-blues that has catapulted them into the international realm. With their debut single and video released in January, “Do You Mind…?” (LM3/Song Keepers, Ltd) complete with a line dance, The Phunk, a regional sensation as well as a new favorite on cruises. A powerhouse trio, the group consists of Eddie Ray Johnson on drums and vocals; Mwalim DaPhunkee, Professor on keys and vocals; and Melvin Coombs on bass. Based on word of mouth and social media buzz, the single has gained over 97,000 views of Youtube and about 30,000 (and growing) on Soundcloud.

With genre-bending blues bands like Alabama Shakes winning Grammy’s it’s obvious that despite what your radios tell you, it’s not all about electronica. According to The GroovaLottos, there are three reasons why soul, funk and blues keep returning to the pop world:

1) Blues and funk are at the very core of American music.
When asked by a journalist why The GroovaLottos don’t chase the newer sounds, drummer Eddie Ray responded, “Our music is a tradition, not a commodity.” As noted by many musicologists, including keyboardist, vocalist (and professor and director of Black Studies at UMass Dartmouth) Mwalim, from the swamps, cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane fields of the south came a blending of African and Native American musical forms and traditions; melded into field chants, spirituals and blues and the raw grooves that would later be identified as funk. Everything in American music that has followed, be it jazz, rock, hip-hop, or hillbilly/country, has its roots and influences from blues. The unpretentious nature of blues and funk as performed by The GroovaLottos speak to the musical desires of the hungry music fans.

2) Regional and independent soul scenes remain strong in urban areas.
Whether it’s classic soul and jazz albums, or present day "acoustic soul" and "rock and blues," there is still an audience that wants musicianship. Live soul music scenes and venues are a standing presence in most urban areas. Small venues in New York City, Philly, Los Angeles, Providence, Toronto, Vancouver, Atlanta, Houston, and Cape Cod offer fans weekly and monthly opportunities to indulge in some incredible, live soul music; both classic and original. Song Keepers, Ltd presents Second Saturday Soul Sessions draws a gathering of soul fans from Plymouth, Wareham, Cape Cod, Boston, Fall River, Providence and even as far away as Montreal, to the legendary Gilda’s Stone Rooster, 27 Wareham Rd, Marion, MA to hear The GroovaLottos along with whatever guest performer on the second Saturday of each month @ 9PM.

3) Soul music and artists don’t have a shelf date. The audience is multi-generational.
The average age of your active hip-hop artist is 25, while the average age of your active soul, blues and funk artists is 45. According to a media survey on Reverbnation.com, the second largest fan-base of contemporary, live soul and funk bands are between the ages of 13 and 22. The largest audience is 35 and over. A common factor of both audiences is that they like real musicians playing real instruments. A prime example, the current single by The GroovaLottos “Do You Mind…?” is a real band, playing real music on real instruments. The same is true for their upcoming album, which is being recorded in Area 22, using the facilities special "digi-log" recording process. The result is proving to be a very organic, funky soul album.

We should start to see more singles and videos from the album trickling out Band keyboardist and songwriter, Mwalim is serving as the producer on this project with drummer Eddie Ray Johnson co- producing. Mwalim’s “Producer’s Notes” have been published on The GroovaLottos website blog, www.thegroovalottos.com.