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Brown-eyed soul, also referred to asChicano soul, Hispanic soul, or Latino soul, issoul music &rhythm & blues (R&B) performed in the United States mainly byHispanic Latinos andChicanos inSouthern California, East Los Angeles, and San Antonio (Texas) during the 1960s, continuing through to the early 1980s.[1] The trend of Latinos started with Latino rock and roll and rock musicians.[2][1] "Brown-eyed soul" contrasts withblue-eyed soul, soul music performed bynon-Hispanic white artists.[3]
Critic Ruben Molina said roots of chicano soul music was from the 1950sjazz,blues,doo wop, jump blues, latin jazz, rock, ranchera, norteno, and conjunto music in the West Coast, Texas Latino communities.[4] Latino artists drew inspiration from African American R&B hits, and as a result, Latino soul came out of African American soul music; Latino soul and R & B was further influenced by Afro-Latin American music, including but not limited to Afro-Spanish-Caribbean origin. Early artists owed little to traditional Latino and rarely performed in Spanish.[5]
Hispanic rock singerRitchie Valens, also became one of the first artists to bring traditional music and rock and roll. Valens recorded "Donna", " La Bamba", "Come On, Let's Go", and "Donna" reached #2 on Billboard pop chart in 1959.[6]
1960s and 1970s bands such asCannibal & the Headhunters ("Land of a Thousand Dances") andThee Midniters played R&B music with a rebelliousrock and roll edge.Sunny and the Sunliners were popular in the 1960s.[7]
However, the large Latino population on the West Coast began gradually moving away from energetic R&B to romantic soul, and the results were "some of the sweetest soul music heard during the late '60s and '70s."[1] Latino groups on the West Coast and Texas also drew from thedoo wop-influencedPhiladelphia soul ("Philly" soul). The West CoastLatin rock scene continued to influence other Latino soul musicians as well. Tierra gained the top 40 hit "Together".[8]