Latin soul Latin soul Latin soul (and related Boogaloo) was a short lived musical genre which developed in the 1960s in New York City. It consisted of a blend of Cuban mambo with elements of Latin jazz and soul music. Although short-lived, the genre had a great influence on the growing Salsa movement which would dominate the New York Latin music scene in the 1970s. Today, the term is typically used by Hispanic artists producing R&B or soul music. Latin soul placed a heavy emphasis on its Afro-Cuban rhythms and featured songs sung mostly in English. The style grew out of an
Latin influence in English text in Latin, the prevalent Medieval lingua franca of Europe. However, when monks occasionally wrote in the vernacular, Latin words were translated by finding suitable Old English equivalents. Often, a Germanic word was adopted and given a new shade of meaning in the process. Such was the case with Old English "gōdspell" ("gospel") for Latin "evangelium". Previously, the Old English word simply meant "good news," but its meaning was extended in Old English to fit a religious context. The same occurred for the Old Germanic pagan word "blētsian", which meant "to sacrifice, consecrate by shedding blood". It was adapted by