Latest news with #GrupoFirme
UPI
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels U.S. appearance over visa processing
May 31 (UPI) -- A popular Mexican band named Grupo Firme was scheduled to play the La Onda Fest on Sunday, but it has canceled due to work visa-processing issues. The festival is being held in Napa Valley, Calif., but the Tijuana-based band said its work visas are in an "administrative process" that won't enable its members to participate in the festival, Billboard reported on Saturday. "The visas of Grupo Firme and the team of Music VIP are in an administrative process by the U.S. Embassy, a situation that makes it impossible for Grupo Firme to perform at La Onda Fest as planned," the musical group posted on social media. "We regret any inconvenience this may cause," the band said. "We appreciate your understanding and, above all, the love from our fans in the U.S." The band intends to perform again in the United States, but the visa-processing issue is stopping it from doing so at the moment. A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Mexico told Billboard that visa records are confidential and staff cannot and will not discuss individual cases. The band is not the only Mexican musical act to encounter visa issues. Singer Julion Alvarez postponed a sold-out show scheduled May 24 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA Today reported. His band, Julion Alvarez y su Norteno Banda, sold nearly all of the 50,000 tickets for the concert. Alvarez, 42, learned his visa had been canceled, and it would be impossible to perform the next day. Promoter CMN and the Copar Music record company said they will reschedule the concert. Ticketholders have the option of getting a refund or using their tickets if the event is rescheduled.
USA Today
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels festival appearance because of US visa issue
Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels festival appearance because of US visa issue The Tijuana-based regional music group is among a growing number of Mexican musicians who have had abrupt visa issues. Show Caption Hide Caption Spotted: Pedro Pascal in economy class on his way to Cannes Actor Pedro Pascal went viral for his comments on U.S. immigration at Cannes Film Festival. The Mexican band Grupo Firme canceled their headlining June 1 performance at a California music festival because the group said their visas were currently in an 'administrative process' to enter the country. The Tijuana-based regional Mexican music group is among a growing number of Mexican musicians who have had abrupt visa issues, sometimes for alleged ties to drug cartels, during the second Trump administration. It wasn't immediately clear what caused visa issues for Grupo Firme to enter the country for their June 1 performance at La Onda Fest, in Napa Valley. The band offered no further details aside from a May 30 post on Instagram Stories. The post said the United States Embassy currently had visas in an 'administrative process' for bandmates and their record label, Music VIP. This made it 'impossible' for them to attend the Mexican music festival. 'We are sorry for the inconvenience that this may cause,' the post said in Spanish. 'We appreciate your understanding and, above all, the love of our fans in the United States.' In an emailed response, the Department of State said visa records are confidential by law, so they couldn't comment on the case. Officials didn't respond to questions about the basis for the visa issue, or about the 'administrative process' the band described. The group said they would share news of their return to the United States when they can make new plans. Mexican singer Julión Álvarez said he had his visa revoked ahead of a sold-out May 24 show at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. In 2017, Álvarez had his visa revoked after being accused of ties to a drug trafficker, though he denied this. He was taken off a list in 2022, and he was in the country as recently as April to perform three sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, the State Department revoked the visas for Los Alegres del Barranco, after the band displayed an image of Mexican drug lord Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho,' at a concert in Mexico in late March. The group had an American tour planned. On X, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau confirmed the department canceled Los Alegres' work and tourist visas for "glorifying" Oseguera Cervantes, who is head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. In 2021, Grupo Firme won a Latin Grammy for best banda album. The group is known for songs such as "Ya Supérame" and "Cada Quién." But in February, the group canceled a festival performance in Mazatlán, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, after being threatened by a suspected drug cartel. The threat reportedly came in the form of a narcomanta – a banner used by drug cartels to communicate messages – displayed on a bridge, as well as a severed human head found nearby, addressed to Grupo Firme. Grupo Firme has sought to distance itself from music known as narcocorridos, or drug ballads, that have gained an international following, coinciding with a global rise in the popularity of regional Mexican music. States in Mexico have sought to ban the subgenre of corridos, or Mexican ballads. In April, Grupo Firme's lead singer, Eduin Caz, said the group doesn't perform narcocorridos. Their music, focused on love and heartbreak, 'has fed us very well,' he said at a press conference. La Onda Fest was set to take place May 31 to June 1, with Grupo Firme slated as the last act on the second day. The festival said Tito Double P, a corridos singer from Sinaloa, would replace Grupo Firme.
CBS News
20 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Popular Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels U.S. show, saying Trump administration suspended their visas
Why Trump is pushing military help for Mexico to help fight cartels The popular Mexican regional music band Grupo Firme announced on Friday that it was canceling a performance in a music festival in California over the weekend after the United States government suspended the musicians' visas. It comes after the U.S. State Department has revoked visas of a number of Mexican musicians for playing a genre of music that it says glorifies cartel violence. The announcement also came just two days after the bodies of five Mexican musicians were found in Reynosa along the Texas border. Grupo Firme, which has soared to international fame playing Mexican regional music, said in a statement posted on its Instagram account that the visas of them and their team are currently under "administrative review by the U.S. Embassy" and that it would make it "impossible" for them to perform in the La Onda Fest to be held in the city of Napa Valley, California on June 1. But the post didn't detail what it would mean in the long term for the musical group. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico said that visa cases are confidential according to U.S. law and couldn't provide more information on the case. Members of the Mexican regional band "Grupo Firme" perform during a free concert in Mexico City's main square, the Zocalo, Sept. 25, 2022. Eduardo Verdugo / AP The suspension is just the latest in a series of moves the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has taken targeting Mexican artists in the genre, who in some cases have glorified the leaders of cartels as sort of Robin Hood figures. While the genre of "narco-corridos" has stirred controversy, much of the music also speaks to the harsh realities facing Mexican youth caught in cartel violence. Two months ago, the Mexican musical group Los Alegres del Barranco was sanctioned after it projected images of the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel at a concert in the western state of Jalisco. "I'm a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn't mean that expression should be free of consequences," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said at the time. "The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists." But Grupo Firme has taken steps in recent months to distance itself from the facet of the musical genre glorifying criminal groups, announcing in April shortly after the controversy that it would not sing such music in concerts. Musicians caught in cartel turf wars Mexican musicians have previously been targeted by criminal groups that pay them to compose and perform songs that glorify the exploits of their leaders. Such performers often live in close proximity to their drug lord patrons, and can at times get caught up in cartel turf battles. On Thursday, the five musicians from the band Grupo Fugitivo were found dead after prosecutors said they had been kidnapped. Officials said nine suspects believed to be part of a faction of the Gulf Cartel, which has strong presence in the city, have been arrested. The vehicle belonging to Mexican musical group Grupo Fugitivo is seen outside the Specialized Unit for the Investigation of Forced Disappearances, after Mexican authorities confirmed that five members of the band were found dead, in Reynosa, Mexico May 29, 2025. Stringer / REUTERS "Narcocorridos" are a controversial sub-genre of music in Mexico, and the songs have caught the attention of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who recently launched a music contest "for peace and against addictions," seeking to counter the popularity of the music among young people in Mexico and the United States. Several regions in the country have banned "narcocorridos," sparking a recent riot during a concert after a singer refused to perform some of his most popular songs. In January this year, a small plane was reported to have dropped pamphlets on a northwestern city threatening around 20 music artists and influencers for alleged dealings with a warring faction of the Sinaloa drug cartel. In 2018, armed men kidnapped two members of the musical group "Los Norteños de Río Bravo," whose bodies were later found on the federal highway connecting Reynosa to Río Bravo, Tamaulipas. In 2013, 17 musicians from the group Kombo Kolombia were executed by alleged cartel members in the northeastern state of Nuevo Leon, allegedly because of links to a rival gang. Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels US show, says visas suspended by Trump administration
The popular Mexican regional music band Grupo Firme announced on Friday that it was canceling a performance in a music festival in California over the weekend after the United States government suspended the musicians' visas. It comes after the US State Department has revoked visas of a number of Mexican musicians for playing a genre of music that it says glorifies cartel violence. The group, which has soared to international fame playing Mexican regional music, said in a statement posted on its Instagram account that the visas of them and their team are currently under 'administrative review by the US Embassy' and that it would make it 'impossible' for them to perform in the La Onda Fest to be held in the city of Napa Valley, California on June 1. But the post didn't detail what it would mean in the long term for the musical group. The US Embassy in Mexico and the State Department said that visa cases are confidential according to US law and couldn't provide more information on the case. The suspension is just the latest in a series of moves the administration of US President Donald Trump has taken targeting Mexican artists in the genre, who in some cases have glorified the leaders of cartels as sort of Robin Hood figures. While the genre of 'narco-corridos' has stirred controversy, much of the music also speaks to the harsh realities facing Mexican youth caught in cartel violence. Two months ago, the Mexican musical group Los Alegres del Barranco was sanctioned after it projected images of the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel at a concert in the western state of Jalisco. 'I'm a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn't mean that expression should be free of consequences,' US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said at the time. 'The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.' But Grupo Firme has taken steps in recent months to distance itself from the facet of the musical genre glorifying criminal groups, announcing in April shortly after the controversy that it would not sing such music in concerts.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels US show, says visas suspended by Trump administration
The popular Mexican regional music band Grupo Firme announced on Friday that it was canceling a performance in a music festival in California over the weekend after the United States government suspended the musicians' visas. It comes after the US State Department has revoked visas of a number of Mexican musicians for playing a genre of music that it says glorifies cartel violence. The group, which has soared to international fame playing Mexican regional music, said in a statement posted on its Instagram account that the visas of them and their team are currently under 'administrative review by the US Embassy' and that it would make it 'impossible' for them to perform in the La Onda Fest to be held in the city of Napa Valley, California on June 1. But the post didn't detail what it would mean in the long term for the musical group. The US Embassy in Mexico and the State Department said that visa cases are confidential according to US law and couldn't provide more information on the case. The suspension is just the latest in a series of moves the administration of US President Donald Trump has taken targeting Mexican artists in the genre, who in some cases have glorified the leaders of cartels as sort of Robin Hood figures. While the genre of 'narco-corridos' has stirred controversy, much of the music also speaks to the harsh realities facing Mexican youth caught in cartel violence. Two months ago, the Mexican musical group Los Alegres del Barranco was sanctioned after it projected images of the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel at a concert in the western state of Jalisco. 'I'm a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn't mean that expression should be free of consequences,' US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said at the time. 'The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.' But Grupo Firme has taken steps in recent months to distance itself from the facet of the musical genre glorifying criminal groups, announcing in April shortly after the controversy that it would not sing such music in concerts.
