WATCH: Southern University’s Human Jukebox Marching Band ‘We Are One’ video

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - It was a big night for Southern University, a chance to play on the big screen, a moment they have been craving for a while.

“Even in this time, you know we are in a pandemic, we’re in phase 2 where we can barely go anywhere and do anything. For people to find joy and happiness in something like this. I think it’ great,” says Kendric Taylor who is the band director for Southern University.

The Human Jukebox hasn’t been able to take center stage due to the pandemic, with football season pushed back to the spring and no Mardi Gras parade to look forward to. The band has been itching to get back out there and do what they do best, entertain.

“The students that are involved, you know, the feeling that they have and to see the excitement on their faces. You know to hear them say, ‘look at me, I’m on tv.’ For me, I think that’s what it’s all about. Your work is not in vain, you know that this is something that we’ve been working towards,” adds Taylor.

The band started working on their performances over the Christmas holidays. They learned and recorded their music in just one day, over the next two days they recorded their field performance. Additional Southern students like Michael Foster, who is not in the band, we’re able to be a part of the big show by helping with the production.

“My biggest thing was making sure that people saw the culture of our community and seeing that like this is an expression of what we like with our music. So, the different song selections and making sure it’s broadcasted in the right light, that was my biggest concern,” says Foster.

For right now, the band says they are ready to embrace the historical moment and hope they can bring a little bit of joy to everyone across our nation.

The event was hosted by Terrence J and featured appearances by Leslie Jones, Frankie Beverly, Stacey Abrams, Whip Jim Clyburn, Rep. Cedric Richmond, Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Joyce Beatty, Senator Cory Booker, Senator-Elect Rev. Raphael Warnock, Kim Fields, Erika Alexander, and Jason George. It will also feature a special performance by Tobe Nwigwe, in addition to performances by DJ D-Nice, The O’Jays, Rapsody, Step Afrika, the String Queens, the Texas Southern University Debate Team, and more.

The event also included a Battle of the Bands, featuring Florida A&M University Marching 100, Grambling State University World Famed Marching Band, Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South, Louisiana Leadership Institute All-star Marching Band, South Carolina State University Marching 101, Southern University Human Jukebox Marching Band, and the Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands.

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