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Photos provided by Brat Girl Media
Soul full sounds are catchy rhythms, stressed by hand claps and extemporaneous body moves, are an important feature of soul music. Other characteristics are a call and response between the lead vocalist and the chorus and an especially tense vocal sound.
When you hear jazz/rnb singers from the 80's, some may categorize their singing as very soulful. The most important thing about singing with soul is empathy, tonality control, and muscle placement. Mastering these things can help you fill your voice with more variety, making your voice sound more complex.
Referring to the 80s artist is always easy for me. My mind is like a catalog of music, and at any point I can pull from it when I hear a current melody that brings back the nostalgic sounds from the decade. However, you may have to go back a bit further to enjoy what is considered soulful music.
Are you there yet? Maybe you can recall the soul full sound of the following artists:
Going back to revisit these sounds certainly fills the air with wonderment, joy, and the bewilderment. The benefit music enthusiasts are the same soul full feeling expands into other genres. Such as the blues genre. Don’t get me started. Because when it comes to soul full sounds of the blues I could go on for hours.
If our not familiar without how catchy rhythms and character touches the heart of blues, well here is just a brief overview:
Soul-blues combines the best elements of the two and blends that with the standard blues band instrumentation -- sometimes augmented with an R&B-styled horn section. The genre also provides more traditional blues artists with a style to visit on occasion, injecting some contemporary life into their recordings.
You can go back decades to find about the legends of blues. Such as John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Ray Charles, Bessie Smith and Muddy Waters. This is just the tip of the ice burg. The soul full sounds of blues has traveled many miles. However, you don’t need to look that far back to experience the sound of blues. In fact, our guest today is an example of a soul full singer with a impeccable voice. Her name is Ghalia Volt. She first captured my attention over 5 years ago with a song called “Meet You Down The Road”. Lyrics and sound of someone that sings beyond her years.
INTERVIEW WITH GHALIA VOLT AND GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE
Guitar Thrills: Hello Ghalia. It is a privilege to chat with you today. I have respected your ability to play the blues for years. I was impressed by your bio as well. It shared some insight into how you perspective on the music world around you.
Guitar Thrills: Who were some of your biggest blues influences?
Ghalia: There are many. I’ll start with the queens: Sister Rosetta Thorpe, Ma Rainey, Lavern Baker, Ruth Brown, Aretha Franklin, Mavis Staples - Just to name a few.
JB Lenoir, Skip James, Free McDowell, RL Burnisde, Junior Kimbrough. And the list goes on..
Guitar Thrills Broadcast
Guitar Thrills: Which came first, your gift for playing the guitar, or your ability to sing?
Ghalia: I’ve always sung. I started playing guitar around 11 years old. None are gifts, both require practice and there’s always room for improvement
Guitar Thrills: Not everyone can sing the blues. In fact, it is something that you have or don’t have. I believe it comes from within, and you have to a strong passion to develop the skill-set.
What do you draw upon to create lyrics that are meaningful to you, and those that listen to you?
Ghalia: I believe you are right and the important thing is to stay true, stay organic be yourself. I sing about my feelings my experiences or my sense of romancing a story. Empathy can technically always be put into any lyrics, even if there not your story, just because you’ve lived something similar emotionally.
Guitar Thrills: When did you decide that you were going to be a Blues artist?
Ghalia: Although my music is very much Roots and Blues influenced, I don’t consider myself as a blues artist. I believe that music genres would be like a big tool box and which every single tool naturally comes into place to fit the right song because it’s part of you, what you listened to, what resonates with you, what you grew up with, etc
Guitar Thrills: Even in the blues genre, there is a huge pool of talent. How do you continue to set yourself apart from other artists?
Ghalia: Just being true and constantly open to new influences, improvement and a desire of renewing myself and my creativity.
Guitar Thrills: I want to talk about the song Meet you down the road. Can you explain to us the meaning behind the song, and the setting of the video?
Ghalia: “Meet you down the road” talks about how an element can’t exist without another one.Here, more precisely, about having to learn how to live without someone dear to me. It’s very metaphorical and full of imagery. The groove is swampy, funky heavy which illustrates well the contrasts of the song. The video was shot all over Mississippi. I spent lots of time there between 2014 and 2019 when the video was shot and all those locations fell into places when needed them.
Guitar Thrills: I have to admit it gave me a feeling of nostalgia. Similar to some of the places that I visited when I was growing up. Do you find inspiration in the places that you have visited or performed in as an artist?
Ghalia: Always! I’m a very contemplative person, and I love to observe and soak up the energy of all these different atmospheres. Let your mind drift, and there comes inspiration
Guitar Thrills: It is apparent that you play the guitar at another level. The tones are smooth, you know how to work the slide. If I had to compare you with another blues artist that can work the slide, it would be Keb Mo. How long did it take you to develop your skill?
Ghalia: I’m still working on it. Improvement is never ending. But I do have a grip of it. Tone is what it is. Sustain. Technique And of course learning from the great ones in person or on records.
Guitar Thrills: Does a specific guitar brand peak your interest as you play, or does the guitar brand matter to you?
Ghalia: Brand doesn’t necessarily matter but I do know what I like. I’m definitely more a Gibson girl than a Fender, regarding pickups and necks. I’ve been playing a Les Paul Studio for over a decade and a half. I also affectionate Silvertone, Kay’s, Harmony guitars very much. I have a whole collection. They all have their personalities and I do get lots of pleasure finding their right settings and tunings
Guitar Thrills: Are you accustomed to using guitar pedals, and is there a specific sound that you aim for as you implement their use?
Ghalia: To be honest I’m new in the pedal world. I’ve always been a fan of Hound Dog Taylor and Elmore James tone, and that did not require any pedal. Just the right amp. One Woman Band project is all about that. 3 amps. No pedal. Now with the new record, Shout Sister Shout
I was looking for more texture, a more polished material and also, had the keys and my guitar parts are filling the bass sections. So it’s been now a year that I introduced a pedal board to my performances.
Guitar Thrills: What are you working on now, is there a new release coming out soon? Any new projects that you would like to tell our readers about?
Ghalia: I’m always working on the next project. Constantly writing although the touring and all the logistic aspect of those tours take up a lot of my time. Stay tuned for more news is all I can say.
Guitar Thrills: That is awesome. We will look forward to hearing more from you, especially as your popularity continues to grow. Please keep us in mind, as you continue your successful career as a blues artist. Thank you for your time.
Ghalia: My pleasure. Let’s keep living our passions and remind ourselves what are the real values in this journey called “life”.
A RECAP OF WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
