Wilson High School student Melody Ross,16, who was shot and killed Friday October 30, 2009, after a Wilson High School football game, at Wilson. Family Photo11/17/2009
By Greg Mellen
Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram (California, USA)
LONG BEACH - Two days after burying her with tears and prayers, the family and friends of Melody Ross remembered her with something the bouncy teenager would likely have preferred - songs and spirit.
A collection of poets, singers and rappers celebrated the life of the 16-year-old Wilson High junior Tuesday night at the Art Theatre in a performance attended by about 100 residents, friends and family.
Nine performers and bands filled the theater on Long Beach's Retro Row with a mixture of sounds and styles that ranged from the poetry of Mike Sonksen, to the mellow reggae and pop of Scotty G. and Universal speakers, to the rap of PraCh Ly to the spiritual sounds of the Life House Church band, and concluding with a soulful set by two of Melody's cousins, Bunna Roeum and Stephen Kosal, who perform as Living Testimony.
Ross was a bystander in a crowd when she was killed by a gun shot after Wilson's homecoming football game October 30. She was the innocent victim of an alleged dispute between gang members nearby that erupted into gunfire. Two 16-year-olds have been arrested and will be tried as adults in Long Beach Superior Court.
Before the final set of Tuesday night's performance, which was a fundraiser for the Ross family and Melody's remaining siblings, Emily, 17, and Kimberly, 6, Kosal recalled his cousin.
"Melody, whenever she came by, she'd say 'Bong, Stephen, sing me a song.' And I be 'ahhh,'" Kosal said with a hint of regret.
On this night he and Roeum had their chance.
"She wouldn't have wanted us to be sad. She was so optimistic and uplifting," Roeum said.
"She was always smiling, that's the thing we'll never forget," Kosal added.
PraCh, the local rapper who helped organize the event with members of Cambodia Town and 4 th Street Business Owners, said he hoped that in addition to celebrating Melody, the performers could get out a message.
"We need to be uniting the community," he said. "We need to raise awareness and stop the violence."
PraCh said the community couldn't afford to look away. "We're here to rally and convene and say the city of Long Beach won't stand for this," he said.
Kreng Krich, a pastor at Life House church, where Melody and her uncle, Sam Che, attended, sang with his church band while a video slide show of Melody was shown on a screen.
He praised the Ross parents for the strength and energy they have showed through their grief and said their faith has played a huge role in carrying them through.
About Melody, Krich said faith, family and friends were what mattered to her most and that if Melody would have a wish for people it would be to "live life so that there would be no regrets."
As with all the tributes and commemorations in the past two weeks, the Ross family attended and showed their gratitude to others.
The final song of the evening by Living Testimony was called "After the Rain" and was a fitting coda.
"The song is about the grieving process," Kosal said. "It's about not losing faith, not losing hope," Roeum added.
It's a sentiment Melody probably would have agreed with.
A collection of poets, singers and rappers celebrated the life of the 16-year-old Wilson High junior Tuesday night at the Art Theatre in a performance attended by about 100 residents, friends and family.
Nine performers and bands filled the theater on Long Beach's Retro Row with a mixture of sounds and styles that ranged from the poetry of Mike Sonksen, to the mellow reggae and pop of Scotty G. and Universal speakers, to the rap of PraCh Ly to the spiritual sounds of the Life House Church band, and concluding with a soulful set by two of Melody's cousins, Bunna Roeum and Stephen Kosal, who perform as Living Testimony.
Ross was a bystander in a crowd when she was killed by a gun shot after Wilson's homecoming football game October 30. She was the innocent victim of an alleged dispute between gang members nearby that erupted into gunfire. Two 16-year-olds have been arrested and will be tried as adults in Long Beach Superior Court.
Before the final set of Tuesday night's performance, which was a fundraiser for the Ross family and Melody's remaining siblings, Emily, 17, and Kimberly, 6, Kosal recalled his cousin.
"Melody, whenever she came by, she'd say 'Bong, Stephen, sing me a song.' And I be 'ahhh,'" Kosal said with a hint of regret.
On this night he and Roeum had their chance.
"She wouldn't have wanted us to be sad. She was so optimistic and uplifting," Roeum said.
"She was always smiling, that's the thing we'll never forget," Kosal added.
PraCh, the local rapper who helped organize the event with members of Cambodia Town and 4 th Street Business Owners, said he hoped that in addition to celebrating Melody, the performers could get out a message.
"We need to be uniting the community," he said. "We need to raise awareness and stop the violence."
PraCh said the community couldn't afford to look away. "We're here to rally and convene and say the city of Long Beach won't stand for this," he said.
Kreng Krich, a pastor at Life House church, where Melody and her uncle, Sam Che, attended, sang with his church band while a video slide show of Melody was shown on a screen.
He praised the Ross parents for the strength and energy they have showed through their grief and said their faith has played a huge role in carrying them through.
About Melody, Krich said faith, family and friends were what mattered to her most and that if Melody would have a wish for people it would be to "live life so that there would be no regrets."
As with all the tributes and commemorations in the past two weeks, the Ross family attended and showed their gratitude to others.
The final song of the evening by Living Testimony was called "After the Rain" and was a fitting coda.
"The song is about the grieving process," Kosal said. "It's about not losing faith, not losing hope," Roeum added.
It's a sentiment Melody probably would have agreed with.
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