Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin was an American songwriter, singer and pianist, born in 1942 and died in 2018. She has gone down in history (ha pasado a la historia) as the Queen of Soul and one of the most influential people of all times, not only in music.

Her mother was a gospel* singer and pianist, and her father presided a Baptist church in Detroit, so, she started singing gospel in her father's church. Then, she travelled with his father performing in major cities throughout the country and started being recognized as a vocal prodigy.

When she turned 18 she moved to New York and changed the religious music for soul music and embarked on a musical career, that grew unstoppable and gave her fame and a great reputation.

Aretha Franklin never claimed to be a feminist icon, but decades before the emergence of the feminist movements, the Queen of Soul was a voice for female fans who had experienced abuse, thanks to songs such us Respect or Think. She was the voice for those women who were controlled by men, and for those who fought for equal pay and treatment.

She was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and she received the most important awards all over the world.

Now, in 2022 she is an inspiration as a soul singer, as a person, and as a feminist.

Happy 8th of March!! Happy International Women's Day!!

* Gospel: style of popular religious music type born among the black community of the United States, in which the singers decorate the happy and cheerful melodies with shouts and whispers.

* Soul: music style born from the gospel, and sung among the black community of the United States. It was a successful style between 60s and the 80s. Its characterized by its catchy rhythms, the optimistic melodies and the accompaniment of brass instruments.