About Me
In 2007 it took some of UK's most influential Jazzfunk/Soul artists such as Omar, Bluey Maunick (Incognito) Rahsaan, to protest in defence of Soul Music which took the protest directly to the red carpet at the award ceremony with banners asking the organisers why the Soul catorgory was taken out of the MOBO Awards.
The MOBO's are meant to be represntative of music of black origin and surely this includes Soul, Jazz, Funk and the ever talked about RnB.
The MOBO's felt a need to ditch not only the soul catagory (which has never excisted!!) but also the essence of black music. You ditch soul, you ditch the history of music that has shaped this world and the music industry over many years.
It's bad enough we don't have recognition of our home grown artists and their music world wide due to domination of the 'biggies' taking control of music around the globe, but the straw that broke the camels back has to be the non excistance of a catogory represntative of many other types of music like RnB.
We no longer have this catagory in the record stores and slowly music of black origin is being pushed aside as an Urban legend.
This is where you can make a difference!
Join our page, make your protest and most of all, let them hear your cries to establish a Soul catogory in 2008!
Be heard,show how much you care about Soul music and back the artists that deserve every recognition at the MOBO Awards!
MOBO'S... WHERE IS YOUR SOUL?
What the artists think
Bluey from Incognito:
The annual MOBO Awards has never had a Soul Award in all its time as an event!
I remember being invited on the very first MOBO panel at the Ministry of sounds and feeling very proud.
I and along with several musicians, writers and music business executives were discussing how great and long overdue it was for music of black origin to be celebrated in this manner.
For in SOUL and JAZZ we all embraced a powerful legacy of music that connects us directly to the roots of our history and humanity.
Soul music has been the inspiration information for generations and continues to do so.
My own band Incognito continue to represent UK SOUL and JAZZ playing to sell out concerts all over the world. And at International festivals world-wide it is the likes of Omar, Jamiroquai, Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, Corinne Bailey Rae, Brand New Heavies and Incognito who are most in demand.
Soul is not only the music of our yesteryears. American Artists like D’Agelo, Jill Scott, Meshell Ndegeocello and Jon Legend have continued to be steps ahead in creativity.
There is a tradition in soul music passed on by the greats that is constantly borrowed and greatly influences R&B and Hip Hop, but if the MOBO’S cannot make the distinction, I am truly baffled at what the M, the O, the B and the O stands for.
Bluey from Incognito
(Past winner of a MOBO in 2001 for best Jazz act)
Scrap soulless Mobos, singer says By Ian Youngs
Entertainment reporter, BBC News
Gabrielle has won two Mobo Awards in the past
Pop star Gabrielle has called for the Music of Black Origin (Mobo) Awards to be scrapped because they lack a soul prize and are dominated by US artists.
"How can you leave out the soul award? I think you need to shut it down," said Gabrielle, Britain's best-selling black female singer of the last 20 years.
The Mobos have said they do recognise soul artists, but in other categories.
Award host Jamelia said: "I find it sad and remarkable that people are looking for negatives for negative's sake."
This year's ceremony, which saw stars including Amy Winehouse, Kanye West and Rihanna win awards, had categories for hip-hop, reggae, R&B, gospel and jazz - but not soul.
"I'm really shocked," Gabrielle told the BBC News website. "It just shows how behind the British music scene is because that wouldn't happen in America."
Mobo organisers were "knuckleheads" who should know soul went "hand-in-hand" with music of black origin, she said.
And they should not be in charge of such a prestigious event if they did not, she remarked.
"Music of black origin is soul and jazz and anything else that is inspired by black music," said the singer, whose hits include Dreams, Rise and Out of Reach.
"I think we should all turn off. And anyway, it's all the time dominated by the Americans.
"We're still licking their bootys because it pays homage to the fact that they're still kicking our arses, the Americans. They're still more knowledgeable than us."
Gabrielle has won two Mobo Awards in the past - best album in 2000 and best single in 1996.
She has added her voice to a campaign that saw four soul musicians protest on the red carpet outside the ceremony on Wednesday, carrying placards reading: "Mobos where's your soul?"
They included singer Omar, who had a hit with There's Nothing Like This, and Incognito frontman Bluey Maunick.
And singer Mica Paris has joined in, saying: "The Mobos is a poor representation of British soul talent."
But this year's ceremony co-host Jamelia said the Mobos had soul. "Just because there isn't a special category does not mean that soul artists are not being recognised.
"To the contrary, artists like Corinne Bailey Rae, Beverley Knight, Amy Winehouse, Lemar and Gabrielle are being, and have been, honoured," she continued.
The Mobos had "just pulled off one of their best shows ever", she added.
"The Brits dropped their urban category and nobody made any comment."
A Mobo spokesperson said soul was derivative of gospel plus rhythm and blues, which were both represented.
She added: "We were especially pleased with all the British artists because they clearly showed that they can compete at the highest level with any international acts."
Echoes magazine has also been running a campaign to get a soul category installed.
Editor Chris Wells said Amy Winehouse and Lemar, who were nominated for best R&B, were actually soul artists, adding that he did not know why the organisers "get it so wrong".
"I want the Mobos to work, but every year that goes by they make mistakes," he said
The organisers came under fire last year for scrapping their jazz category - but relented and re-installed the jazz prize this year, which was won by Soweto Kinch.
"If soul is so successful... and it is, it deserves its own genre" - Chris Wells, Echoes Magazine
“I’m very honoured to have been awarded two Mobos myself. However, I truly believe that they should preach the gospel for all music of black origin. Without soul music I know I wouldn’t be making the music I make – my music comes from the soul.†Corinne Bailey Rae
