Latest news with #LaOndaFest
Los Angeles Times
35 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Grupo Firme cancels appearance at La Onda festival, becoming latest international act to face visa issues
Grupo Firme was unable to show up for its previously planned June 1 set at Napa's La Onda festival. The Tijuana band announced the cancellation Friday afternoon on social media. 'Currently, the visas of Grupo Firme and the Music VIP [Entertainment] team are in an administrative process by the U.S. Embassy, a situation that makes it impossible for Grupo Firme's performance at La Onda Fest to go on as planned,' the band wrote in a statement posted on its Instagram stories. 'We are sorry for the inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your understanding and, above all else, the love from our U.S. fans.' Grupo Firme is the latest international musical act facing visa issues since President Trump took office for his second presidential term. Many of these have been música Mexicana artists. The group's news came only a week after Mexican singer Julión Álvarez postponed his May 24 show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, after he claimed his work visa had been revoked. The 42-year-old musician alleged in a May 23 Instagram video that he had received the news of his work visa revocation that day, leaving him and his band unable to travel to Texas for their planned performance. He also claimed he didn't have a full sense of clarity regarding the ongoing status of his visa and was limited in what he could dispel about the situation. Also in May, Chicago's Michelada Fest, a Spanish-language music festival that had programmed several Latin American acts was canceled due to concerns over artists' visas. 'Due to the uncertainty surrounding artist visas and the rapidly changing political climate, we're no longer able to guarantee the full experience we had dreamed up for you with all your favorite artists,' the festival's organizers explained in a statement. 'Although we tried to push through, it became clear that we wouldn't be able to deliver the full lineup as planned.' The organizers would go on to write that, as an independent outfit, Michelada Fest 'can't afford to take on a big risk with so much uncertainty ahead.' Grupo Firme, Anitta, Danny Ocean, Tokischa and Luis R. Conriquez were scheduled to perform at the July festival. In early April, the U.S. State Department canceled the work and tourist visas of the members of the Mexican corrido band Los Alegres del Barranco after the group displayed photos of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes at its concert in Guadalajara, Mexico. During their March 29 show at the University of Guadalajara, the band put an illustrated depiction of Cervantes — a key player in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG — on a mega-screen while playing their song 'El Dueño del Palenque.' Videos of the incident were captured on social media. 'I'm pleased to announce that the State Department has revoked the band members' work and tourism visas. In the Trump Administration, we take seriously our responsibility over foreigners' access to our country,' said Christopher Landau, the U.S. deputy Secretary of State in April. 'The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.' Outside of the world of Latino artists, British singer FKA twigs announced in April on Instagram that she had to cancel series of concerts for the month in North America — including a slot at Coachella 2025 — due to 'ongoing visa issues.'
UPI
2 days 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
2 days 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.
Yahoo
2 days 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
2 days 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.
