Cuban Anniversary Forces Juanes Rescheduling of Miami Show

Cuban Anniversary Forces Juanes Rescheduling of Miami Show

Who would ever think that an event from fifty years ago would cause an internationally acclaimed Latin singer to change the date on a concert of his?

Juanes, the Colombian singer, had been scheduled to perform on April 15 in Miami at American Airlines Arena. Tickets had gone on sale and things were running smoothly. Until someone looked at the calendar a second time that is.

April 15 happens to be the 50th anniversary of when the Bay of Pigs ill-fate invasion started, when the U.S. attempted to overthrow Cuba.

The invasion, which the CIA organized, consisted of exiles from Cuba trying to overthrow Fidel Castro. However, the operation failed and 100 men at least were killed with hundreds more captured.

However that was then. This is now. Fifty years after the attempted invasion, different problems have arose. Some people have questioned whether it was appropriate or not for Juanes to be scheduled to perform the same week in Miami that exiles from Cuba were planning events to commemorate the anniversary of the failed invasion.

Adding fuel to this controversy was the September 2009 show of Juanes’ at the Revolution Plaza in Havana. The free show was called “Peace Without Borders.” Miami’s Cuban exiled community criticized the show, claiming it promoted Castro’s regime. So it ruffled some feathers when the singer was booked to perform in Miami in the same week as the anniversary.

Shortly after Juanes’ show was announced, negative response began. The Miami Herald reported that Juanes’ team members and some of the sponsors of the show began to get negative, anonymous comments regarding the event.

The Associated Press on January 31 cited an anonymous source who is close with Juanes reporting that the show was being rescheduled for a different date.

The Miami Herald on February 1 reported the date would be postponed, citing that the promoter of the show, Arie Kaduri of NYK Productions, said the original date of the concert was being canceled due to the respect Juanes has for the community of Cuban exiles in Miami.

However there was still one problem. Although news of the date being changed had been circulating for over 24 hours and printed in the major newspaper in Miami, the show was still being listed as occurring on April 15 according to the website for the venue and tickets could still be purchased through Ticketmaster.

In fact the American Airlines Arena was contacted this morning and said the show was still scheduled for April 15.

Juanes’ representatives, however, say the date will change and an announcement will made very soon.

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