Audiences groove at IU Soul Revue

The IU Soul Revue performance Saturday night, at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood, started off with shifting spotlights piercing through the dark of the theater. Pink, blue, yellow and red lights highlighted the stage, which was lined at the back with the band clad in black, sunglasses and rhythm ready.\n“This is Little 5 weekend, there’s a lot going on in town. But you chose to come to the best show,” said Charles E. Sykes, executive director of the African American Arts Institute.\nSuddenly the vocalists took stage. The women were in black velvet dresses with sparkly designs on the bottom, and the men were dressed in black slacks with bow ties. From the moment they came on stage, they encouraged the audience to dance with them.\n“The vocalists and the band feed off each other’s energy a lot,” said Helen Gushue, a freshman performer.\nThis togetherness is felt not only on stage, but apparently also in practice.\n“Just practicing with everyone is what I love, and the energy that we have. How we become one. And here we’re a family,” said Terrilyn Dennie, a sophomore performer.\nThe Soul Revue’s spring concert was a selection of jazz, funk, rhythm and blues, soul and rock. The theme was a sort of nostalgia; a celebration of more than 60 years of African-American music tradition. Each scene was a different decade. \n“I think my favorite part of being on the IU Soul Revue is learning where the songs that we sing actually come from and originate. Today’s songs are just the catchy type of songs and really have no meaning, but if you listen to the songs in our past, they show meaning and passion,” said LaTroy Fole, a freshman performer.\nPreviously in the school year, the IU Soul Revue opened for James Brown. During Saturday’s performance, it paid a special tribute to Brown. Director Nathanael Fareed Mahluli lead the crowd in a chant of, “Say it loud!” followed by, “I’m black and I’m proud!” However, in an effort to get everyone involved, he opened up the statement.\n“You don’t have to be black to be proud,” he said, “So I should be hearing the whole audience singing.” \nThe Soul Revue kept the audience on its feet and involved throughout the night. At one point in the show, while Mahluli sang, some vocalists went into the crowd and danced with audience members. People of young and old, black and white, were dancing together in the rows.\nBesides Brown, the performance acknowledged other African-American talents. During sophomore performer LaKyra Pharms’s solo, a series of images of African-American performers came on the projector screen in back of her. Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald were some of the featured artists.\nThe night’s performance culminated with an encore. The audience was on its feet again. \n“The kind of music they play is so cool – it’s probably one of my favorite types,” freshman Ryan Hupperts said.