Two Syracuse University singing groups will provide students with the ultimate soundtrack for throwback Thursday.

A cappella groups Redemption and Black Legacy will perform songs around the theme “Greatest Hits of the 80s and 90s” at this year’s Legends Concert. The concert, now in its fifth year, takes place Thursday at 8 p.m. in Schine Underground and is sponsored by the Student African-American Society and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Tickets are on sale in the Schine Box Office for $3.

The a cappella groups will be joined by five individual performers, who were selected from a group of about 10 who auditioned.

“This is like our Super Bowl of performances,” said Javaughn Loftman, a sophomore marketing management and retail management major and member of Black Legacy.

Without funding from the Office of Multicultural Affairs, though, the show might not be possible. SAS is in one of the lower Student Association funding tiers, so funding from OMA is critical to put on the show, said Imani Johnson, a senior political science and African American studies major who is the vice president of internal affairs of SAS.

For Black Legacy, who will also be performing choreography popular among male singing groups of the ‘80s and ‘90s, it was important to work on keeping up with the song and beat. Loftman said they will be performing songs from R&B groups such as New Edition and Boyz II Men.

Loftman said he wants the audience to relate Black Legacy with the success of these boy bands but also to feel as though those same bands are the ones actually performing.

“As an all-male singing group on campus, Black Legacy really wants to embody the groups that we will rendition like Boyz II Men, Jodeci and New Edition,” Loftman said. “We want the audience to see us in the same light they see these great groups.”

Black Legacy has been practicing for the Legends Concert since the third week of January and has rehearsed every day this week. Each practice runs for about three hours with members fine-tuning the songs and choreography, Loftman said.

Redemption beatboxer Joshua Podrid, a graduate student in the audio arts program, said his group has been steady at work as well and that he wants Redemption to come out of its shell for the performance.

Any group can come on stage and come off as cocky and own the stage, Podrid said, but he wants Redemption to break away from its humility and timid traits and put on a performance worth watching.

“We really wanted to work on our confidence and stage presence on top of timing and other things necessary to make a good show,” Podrid said.

For Johnson, the SAS vice president of internal affairs, the show is a chance to pay tribute to musical legends of the past while showcasing on-campus talent.

Said Johnson: “We are giving exposure to students on campus that you would never think were this talented.”

Published on February 19, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact Bodeline: bkdautru@syr.edu