54.0°
Cover art for musician D-Funk's album that will be released at the Hip Hop for Hope Event. Photo by Cedar Lampe |
Comments (2)Hip Hop for Hope Event to Honor Truckee Local, Raise Money
Published: January 12, 2010 * Web Exclusive *by Kara LaPoint
When Kacie Dennison’s sister, Melissa, returned from a trip to Bali this past summer, she came back to her hometown of Truckee and announced to Kacie that she wanted to do the AIDS/LifeCycle.“It was so random … but she was really excited about it,” Kacie said.
After Melissa passed away last September at age 24 when she was struck by a car in San Francisco, the idea of AIDS/LifeCycle was the first to pop back into Kacie’s head as a way to commemorate her sister, who was known for her love of riding her “fixie” bike through the city.
“It was one of the first things I thought of because it’s just such a positive thing and supports a positive cause,” said Kacie, a 26-year-old nurse in the ICU at Tahoe Forest Hospital. “Fortunately for us, my brother’s a DJ, and that works out pretty good for fundraising.”
Kacie’s brother Kyle, 22, is a member of the Hip Hop group Cambo and the Life, where he works alongside fellow Truckee High School graduate Cameron Bartolini, 23, to produce and perform music that Kyle describes as “a mix between soul, hip hop and funk.”
The group, in which Bartolini (“Cambo”) is the songwriter/rapper/singer and Kyle (“DJ Effective”) is the DJ, is completed by a seven-piece band.
Bartolini, whom Kyle described as the “musical genius” of the group, said he prides his music on its broad range of influences and high accessibility. He said he listens to soul and R&B most frequently, always keeping an open mind to new sounds and songs being produced by other artists as inspiration for his own works.
He also said he takes pride in writing “whatever it is he wants to write about,” rather than worrying about what he thinks others want to hear.
“It’s just about good music,” he said. “If I want to sing a song about love or smiling because that’s what I’m feeling, I will sing it.”
Cambo and the Life have been performing several times a month at various venues in the San Francisco area. Kyle said the group has built up a dedicated fan base. The group also spends long hours in its San Francisco studio recording music and working on music videos.
Fueled by a desire both to commemorate their sister and to carry out her wishes to contribute to the AIDS/LifeCycle cause, the Dennison’s have put together a concert, “Hip Hop for Hope,” to be held in Melissa’s honor. Hope was Melissa’s middle name and a word that friends say is symbolic of her character and the legacy she has left behind.
The concert will be held at the Olympic Village Lodge in Squaw Valley on January Jan. 23 at 8:00 p.m. The tickets are $10 and are available at New Moon Natural Foods both in Truckee and Tahoe City as well as at brownpapertickets.com.
In addition to performances by Cambo and the Life, Truckee High School graduate Kyle Young — known in the Hip Hop world as “D-Funk” — will be performing at the show. Young’s performance will take place in conjunction with the release of his newest record, “Abstract Aura,” which he will sell at the venue.
The event will also feature a raffle with a variety of prizes donated from local business such as New Moon, Truth Tattoo, Porter’s, Totally Board and more.
All of the proceeds from the event will go to Kacie’s AIDS/LifeCycle team, also called Hip Hop for Hope. Dennison will ride alongside four other teammates: her fiancée Stuart Emerson and friends Betsy Hansen, Haley Cutter and Shannon Lankenau. Each member must raise $3,000 in order to participate. They will split the proceeds from this event between them to go toward the fundraising goal. The ride will take place June 6-12. It is a 545-mile bike ride, from San Francisco to Los Angeles down California Highway 1.
“The bike ride is just another way to bring us all together,” Kacie said.
But beyond contributing to one of the causes most important to their sister, the Dennisons made it clear that the upcoming concert is very much a celebration of Melissa’s life.
“It’s really all about Melissa,” Kyle said. “This is her show.”
Kacie emphasized the importance of honoring her sister in a positive light.
“It’s a good way to get everyone together and remember her in a positive way,” she said. “And do something she wanted to do by donating to a positive cause.”
While Bartolini and Kyle have been working together musically for over 10 years now, they said that this concert will be different — as is their outlook on music, which they say has been influenced by both Melissa’s life and death.
Bartolini said that although he and Kyle draw inspiration from life, family and friends everyday, they will feel especially inspired this night knowing they will be playing in Melissa’s honor.
“To be able to play a show in Melissa’s name and for a cause she believed in I think is really important and therapeutic. … We really want to play an amazing show,” said Bartolini, who added that Melissa was like a sister of his own.
Kyle spoke to the influence Melissa had on his life, and consequently his music, which he said she continues to have today.
“She was one of the biggest supporters we ever had, always making it to our shows,” he said. “Even as my older sister, I think she looked up to what I was doing.”
Bartolini said he and Kyle have gained a new appreciation for their music and their abilities to create it and live out their passion.
“It makes us both … feel so blessed to be doing what we love,” he said. “And doing it for Melissa makes it even better. It adds a fuel to our flame and helps us reach a higher level than we ever have before.”
Bartolini and Kyle said they are using their music to help them move forward from their loss.
“It’s our everyday medicine,” Cameron said.
Kacie, meanwhile, said she is focusing on taking care of herself, staying positive and living out the many lessons Melissa has taught her.
“It’s really just [about] loving family and friends, and making a point of telling them that everyday,” she said. “And living for the now. … Melissa lived for the moment. She lived life to the fullest and did the things she wanted to do, not for anybody else.”
Kyle, who said Melissa’s passion to help others was what made her stand out in life, said he has now learned more than ever the importance of smiling — a message shared by his group’s newest song, “Smile,” which will be featured at the show.
“You just have to take every day in stride and smile and be happy for what you have going,” he said. “With all the things in life that sometimes get you down … it’s tough, but that’s what life is, and you just have to smile and be happy.”
2 Reader Comments so far ...