You want to get funked up? You’ve come to the right place. Afropop Worldwide’s “A Brief History of Funk” invites you to enjoy sounds and stories from Bobby Bird of the Famous Flames (James Brown’s band), George Clinton, and many other funkmasters from one of America’s most popular music styles.  We’ve collected a few resources to get you on your way to learning more about Funk.

Click here to view the discography for the show.


What does it mean to be in the groove? Read

Presence and Pleasure-The Funk Grooves of James Brown and Parliament
Anne Danielsen
In this exploration of the funk groove and its unique sounds, author Anne Danielsen takes an in-depth look at this under-explored genre. Danielsen concentrates on the golden age of funk in the late 1960s and the 1970s, focusing on two of the era’s artists who made a substantial impact on the landscape of popular music: James Brown and George Clinton/Parliament.






Watch the masters of Funk essentials on YouTube

Parliament “P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sH8Hl2f8fg

Bootsy’s Rubber Band “Psychoticbumpschool”, Live in Texas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJXmReuBJhw 

First published: www.afropop.org