The highlight of my time in Iraq was most definitely being a part of the band, The Ramadi Rhythm Kings. It was really hard to leave my band family behind when my deployment came to an end! Since I have been back in the states I have really missed the nightly practices and all the fun times we had together, but I am just thankful I had the opportunity to be a part of all it and to meet so many talented people.
While online, looking for something completely unrelated, I came across a link to the short piece AFN (military TV station) had done on us:
After that, I found an article on the same webpage (I did not know about this article until today)... it brought back such good memories!
Carolers Compete to be Christmas Champion
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq – It started with four then was narrowed down to two, but in the end there could only be one in the Camp Ramadi Carol Off. The event was held to provide a little competition and Christmas cheer to make being away from home a little more bearable. “It gives us something to brighten the season some, because without something like this, it can be pretty depressing,” said Spc. Jani Soberon, military intelligence night analyst for the Brigade Troops Battalion. The four teams sang two songs each for the first round, and then the judges made their decision on which two would advance to the next round. Not only were the judges looking at musical talent, but at how much the crowd enjoyed their performance. The songs ran the gambit from religious, such as “Mary Did You Know,” to less serious songs, such as “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” and “The 12 Days of Christmas” with corresponding choreography. “We picked the songs (we performed) because we knew we and the audience could have a lot of fun with them,” Soberon, a member from the Desert Alley Cats, said. The first two teams eliminated were the two-man ensemble of Tenacious B and the Desert Alley Cats, leaving the Marine team Front Toward Enemy and The Ramadi Rhythm Kings to compete for the number one spot. In the end, it would be the musical talent that would carry the day for the Ramadi Rhythm Kings giving them the title for the Christmas Carol Off.
No comments:
Post a Comment