Soul Revue celebrates 40 years

The African American Arts Institute will celebrate 40 years of soul music this weekend with IU Soul Revue’s annual spring concert.

The concert, with a theme of “Music Is Just a Party,” will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Tickets are still available and cost $20 for adults and $10 for students.

In 1972, Soul Revue became the country’s first collegiate black popular music ensemble offered for academic credit. This weekend’s concert marks the 40th anniversary of the group’s launch and will feature several alumni and special guests.

The group will partner with the African American Dance Company to showcase traditional rhythm and blues, soul, funk and contemporary black popular styles. Works by artists such as James Brown, The Temptations and Beyoncé will be highlighted.

Charles Sykes, executive director of the Arts Institute, said in a press release that the celebration will take guests down “Soul Train lane.”

“We are pulling out all the stops for this,” he said. “We have great costumes, music and choreography. The performers really bring this music and these artists to life.”

Several other events will celebrate the group’s anniversary, including a post-concert karaoke session in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Grand Hall and an anniversary banquet presenting the founder’s memories in “The Soul Revue Legacy.”

— Michelle Sokol