( also soul music ) n [ U ]
a type of emotional African-American music that developed out of gospel and rhythm and blues in the 1950s and 1960s. The most famous form of soul music was Motown (2). Well-known soul singers include James Brown , Ray Charles , Marvin Gaye , The Supremes , Aretha Franklin , Otis Redding , Roberta Flack and Stevie Wonder . Harlem has been called ‘Soul City’.