Show cancelled after grenades thrown outside venue
A New Year’s Eve concert in Mexico was cancelled after three grenades were thrown outside the venue.
The show by Los Angeles-born, Sinaloa-raised narcocorrido (drug ballad) singer Larry Hernández had been due to take place at the Casa Blanca nightclub in eastern Tijuana.
“Unfortunately because of the events that just happened at the place where I was going to perform, it is impossible to do so,” says Hernández in a social media video. “These are things that are out of one’s control, so I apologise and send you a hug.”
GazetteXtra reports that people threw what appeared to be fragmentation grenades, which did not detonate, from a vehicle on Sunday (31 December).
According to Tijuana’s secretary of security and citizen protection Fernando Sánchez, the Mexican army arrived on site to remove the devices.
Baja California governor Marina del Pilar Ávila says the case is being investigated, but no evidence had been found of a direct threat either to Hernández or the concert venue. No arrests have yet been made.
Mexican singer-songwriter Peso Pluma also cancelled a concert in Tijuana last year following death threats
Hernández’s breakthrough album, 2009’s 16 Narco Corridos featured “vivid depictions” of drug trafficking culture and reached No.4 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.
Mexican singer-songwriter Peso Pluma, who is similarly known for making narcoculture references in his music, also cancelled a concert in Tijuana last year following death threats from local drug cartel members. The October 2023 performance was set for the 33,333-capacity Estadio Caliente stadium.
The cancellation came after several public banners from alleged cartel members targeted the 24-year-old Guadalajara native. The band Fuerza Regida cancelled a show at the same stadium “for reasons beyond our reach” due to death threats.
“I would say there’s a situation between the criminal groups and the narcocorrido singers,” Tijuana mayor Montserrat Caballero told 12News.
Last November, the Guardian reported that local politicians in the city voted to ban narcocorridos from being performed or even played in the city, claiming they glorify violence and the drug trade. However, attempts to censor the genre have appeared to only enhance its popularity.
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Peso Pluma show cancelled after cartel death threats
Mexican singer-songwriter Peso Pluma has cancelled his October concert in Tijuana following death threats from local drug cartel members.
The 14 October performance, which was set for the 33,333-capacity Estadio Caliente stadium in Mexico, was cancelled yesterday in an announcement by Pluma’s record labels, Double P Records and Prajin Music Group.
Both labels posted the joint decision on their Instagram stories, stating “Our goal is to protect the fans and the team.”
“For the safety of everyone involved, we will cancel our show in Tijuana. Thank you so much to all our fans for understanding. We love you,” the joint statement translated to.
“Our goal is to protect the fans and the team”
The cancellation comes after several public banners from alleged members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel targeted the 24-year-old singer. The four banners hung on bridges across Tijuana, instructing Pluma not to go on with his local performance “because it will be your last show due to your disrespect and loose tongue,” the banners reportedly read.
The Mexican singer has repeatedly praised drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán in his music. El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel is a known rival to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
The Guadalajara native often makes narcoculture references in his music, spanning back to his breakthrough single “El Belicón” with Raul Vega. Written from the perspective of cartel members, the duo also performed as such in the corresponding music video.
Pluma is still set to perform three more shows in Mexico this year, ending on 11 November at Mexico City’s Foro Sol (65,000-cap). In addition to the cancelled Tijuana show, multiple U.S. Double P tour dates have been postponed for reasons currently unknown.
Recently, Pluma became the first Mexican artist to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards on 13 September. He has risen in popularity across the US, a rarity for regional Mexcian artists.
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Execs accused of links to sanctioned promoter
Two California-based music industry executives have been arrested by the FBI over alleged links to a concert promoter with ties to Mexican drug cartels.
Del Records owner Ángel del Villar, 41, and Del Entertainment CFO Luca Scalisi, 56, appeared at the US District Court in Los Angeles last week, charged with conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.
A third defendant named in the complaint is 37-year-old music promoter Jesus Perez Alvear, of Morelos, Mexico, who controls Gallistica Diamante/Ticket Premier. His current whereabouts are unknown, but he is believed to be living in Mexico.
Perez, who promoted concerts in Mexico for Del Entertainment until March 2019, is listed as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker under the Kingpin Act, which bans people in the US from doing business with him. The promoter – known as Chucho Pérez – was designated in 2018, having allegedly laundered money through concerts for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) and Los Cuinis Drug Trafficking Organization.
If convicted, Del Villar and Scalisi would face up to 30 years in federal prison, while Perez would face a maximum of 10 years
The complaint alleges that on 19 April 2018, FBI agents approached a well-known musician – referred to in the complaint as Individual A – and told him about Perez’s designation and how that prohibited him from performing concerts that Perez promoted.
However, according to the complaint, Individual A went on to perform at five concerts in Mexico – all promoted by Perez – acting at the direction or with the knowledge of Del Villar, Scalisi and Perez.
If convicted of violating the Kingpin Act, Del Villar and Scalisi would face up to 30 years in federal prison, while Perez would face a maximum of 10 years.
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