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By Celia Herrera
cherre12@mscd.edu

It seems appropriate that the music industry has responded so heavily to the storm that sunk the birthplace of jazz and arguably the greatest musical city in the nation. Even here at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, talented artists have emerged from their basements to play a part in the rebuilding of the sunken South.

The Colorado Hip-Hop Coalition (CHHC), a local non-profit organization dedicated to education via the culture of hip-hop, has coordinated a two-night event to benefit the hurricane evacuees who were relocated to Denver, as well as other Louisiana-based grassroots organizations that are rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The fund-raiser, fearlessly titled "Kickin' Katrina to the Curb," will feature jazz, reggae and hip-hop music from local artists Nuvera's Down, Babah Fly, Apostle, Lazyface, DJ Jonas, The Flobots, Ten Tiers, and Sunset Curse.

"We were getting really frustrated watching the news," said Caitlin Brozna, event coordinator for CHHC, "We had no monetary funds to donate, so this is the 'starving artists' way of contributing. Our communities play a big role-it's our duty as Americans and individuals to come together because individuals can make a difference, like the butterfly effect."

For many "starving artists," playing volunteer gigs is nothing new, but while this may be the case, their contribution to these events can help entire families receive crucial everyday goods. During times such as this, the clock stops for just a moment and we are able to experience genuine acts of kindness and compassion from around the globe. While there are countless ways to donate and contribute to the many relief efforts taking place, this kind of fund-raising gives people an opportunity to support local evacuees and local artists-and have a good time doing it.