Controversy Continues for the Fuego Cuban Music Festival

You may recall that on Friday Crossfade reported that the Fuego Cuban Music Festival was canceled a little over a week after it was officially announced. But it seems the matter isn't so simple. The reports circulating indicated that the Homestead Miami International Speedway pulled the plug on the show...

By Paul Torres

February 15, 2011

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You may recall that on Friday Crossfade reported that the Fuego Cuban Music Festival was canceled a little over a week after it was officially announced. But it seems the matter isn't so simple.

The reports circulating indicated that the Homestead Miami International Speedway pulled the plug on the show that promoters were billing as "the Cuban Woodstock" because the acts that Fuego Entertainment announced didn't align with the original agreement between the two entities.

However, New Times got word over the weekend from a publicist working the event, as well as from Fuego's president and CEO himself, Hugo Cancio, correcting us and stating that the event has not been canceled, and citing rumors to the contrary as just that: rumors and nothing more.

"It is true we are having issues with the venue," Cancio admitted on Saturday, adding that, "because this is now a legal case (a lawsuit has been or will be filed Monday morning), I can not comment any further."

The exec hasn't lost hope that the Fuego Cuban Music Festival will come to pass, though. "We expect an amicable resolution and positive result. However, regardless of the outcome, we are confident the first-ever Cuban Music Festival will take place on April 9, 2011."

But if the Homestead Speedway has any say, it doesn't look like it'll be taking place there. When contacted for comment yesterday, Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer said: "There is not a 'Fuego Cuban Music Festival' scheduled for Homestead-Miami Speedway, nor did Homestead-Miami Speedway ever authorize a 'Fuego Cuban Music Festival.' We entered into a business relationship with promoter Mia Resorts for a music festival. And soon after agreeing to the deal, it became evident that we were dealing with a promoter other than Mia Resorts for an event other than that for which we had contracted. As such, we this morning filed suit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court against Mia Resorts and will withhold further comment due to pending litigation."

Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.

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