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'Rock Band' competition raises
money for bakery in Sierra Leone
By C. Ann Jensen
April 24, 2008 | When it comes to rocking for a cause,
Aggies for Africa has it down, especially when video
games and rap music are involved to help raise funds
for a bakery in Sierra Leone.
Students from Utah State University, high schools,
and community members gathered Monday night for a Rock
Band, the game, competition to win the chance to play
Rock Band in Los Angeles with the music celebrities
whose songs are featured in the game.
Ten teams of four competed on songs that were chosen
at random on expert level. The score received by the
amount of notes they got right determined what team
would go on to the finals.
Team Neesh, a group of students from Mountain Crest
High School, won in the final round against another
team of Mountain Crest students, beating them by more
than 100,000 points.
The members of Team Neesh had been practicing for
a few weeks for the competition but picked up bassist
Shem Hales and his brother Zen only a few days before
the competition.
"Shem is really good at Guitar Hero," said Same Spencer,
the vocalist for Neesh. "So we really wanted him to
play with us." Shem, who plays clarinet when he
isn't play Guitar Hero, was rated as number three in
the world at Guitar Hero on the Wii gaming system and
practices gaming three hours a day, if he is bored.
Team Neesh ditched school Monday to practice for the
tournament. "But it didn't really count because it was
a half day," said Spencer. The team agreed that getting
to meet Flea, the bassist from the band Red Hot Chili
Peppers, at the LA party was what inspired them to "get
good at Rock Band."
Along with the competition, attendees were also able
to see Daddy Saj, a rapper from Sierra Leone, perform
in the Taggart Student Center Ballroom along with dancers
from the USU African dance class.
Daddy Saj, who recently immigrated to the United States,
is known for his politically charged lyrics about the
anti-corruption crusade in Sierra Leone. According to
the BBC, "His first album Corruption e do so --
meaning in Krio, 'corruption, enough is enough'
-- struck a chord not only in Sierra Leone, but across
Africa."
Performing his song Corruption e do so, Daddy
Saj invited audience members to join in on the chorus
as he chanted "Corruption, corruption" and they chanted
"Enough is enough." A few student and community
members who came to see Daddy Saj perform joined in
on the dancing and singing.
Aggies for Africa were able to raise $1,000 off ticket
sales, the rock band tournament, and bread that was
donated by local bread shops, said Aggie for Africa
President Coy Whittier. All proceeds will go toward
the bakery in Sierra Leone.
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