Grupo Firme has announced that their performance at La Onda Fest in Napa Valley, California, set for Sunday (June 1), has been canceled due to the members and the promoter’s visas currently being in an “administrative process” at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. The regional Mexican group revealed this information on Friday (May 30) without providing additional specifics regarding the visa review they are undergoing.
“The visas for Grupo Firme and the Music VIP [Entertainment] team are currently in an administrative process at the U.S. Embassy, making it impossible for Grupo Firme to take the stage at La Onda Fest as intended. We apologize for any disruption this may cause,” the band stated in a message shared on their Instagram Stories. “We value your understanding and, most importantly, the affection from our supporters in the U.S.”
The band also mentioned that they will have updates soon regarding their return to the U.S. “to reunite and sing, dance, and celebrate together.”
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A representative from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico informed Billboard Español: “Visa information is private under U.S. law, which prevents us from discussing individual visa situations.”
Billboard Español contacted Music VIP and a spokesperson for Grupo Firme on Friday night for comments but did not receive an immediate reply.
Previously, Eduin Caz, the lead singer of the well-known band, had dismissed having any problems with his U.S. visa during a press conference in Mexico City on April 8. During the same interaction with the press, he also denied that the band performed narcocorridos. Shortly after, Caz announced via social media that Grupo Firme would avoid performing corridos, adhering to new regulations imposed by several state governments in Mexico related to music or any public expressions that glorify crime.
The announcement regarding the cancellation of Grupo Firme’s concert follows the news from fellow regional Mexican artist Julión Álvarez, who announced the night before his planned concert on May 24 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, that the show had to be canceled after his work visa was revoked, as stated by the artist himself in a social media video.
The work and visitor visas of members of Los Alegres del Barranco were also rescinded following an inquiry by the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office for alleged glorification of crime. This occurred after the group displayed images of Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, famously known as El Mencho, during a concert in their home country on March 29 at an auditorium at the University of Guadalajara.
Grupo Firme has emerged as one of the most successful bands in regional Mexican music since its inception in 2014. In September 2022, they held a free concert in Mexico City’s Zócalo, the primary public square in the country, attracting over 280,000 attendees and setting a record for historic turnout, according to the government of the Mexican capital.
The Latin Grammy-winning and Billboard Latin Music Awards recipients celebrate 10 No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Airplay chart, including “Ya Supérame” and “El Beneficio de la Duda.”
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
