Buenos Aires .- A concert in tribute to the Spanish singer Rosalía scheduled for this Thursday in the Argentine city of Córdoba was canceled in the last few hours by its organizers after receiving “numerous messages of hate and anger” amidst the controversy sparked after the artist shared a post critical of Argentina following the World Cup final, for which she later apologized.
The show ‘Rosalía Tribute in Concert – Symphonic Ensemble’, which was to be held on the esplanade of the Metropolitan Museum of Urban Art (MMAU) in the city of Córdoba, was suspended “for reasons beyond the museum’s organization and to protect the artists,” according to a statement issued by the institution.
The show was going to consist of a journey through the different stages of Rosalía’s career by means of a live symphonic ensemble that would combine “flamenco, pop, electronic, and orchestral sounds” with the goal of “celebrating the artistic quest, aesthetic transformation, and conceptual universe of one of the most innovative and influential artists on the current scene.”
The production company responsible for the event, an Argentine firm that is not linked to the Spanish artist, explained that in the last few hours it received “numerous messages of hate and anger” regarding the tribute and clarified that the project began to be organized more than four months ago, “long before the events that today generate so much repercussion occurred.”
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“Our goal was always to create shows that celebrate music and art. We are also Argentine. We are part of a people where soccer is not just a sport, it is part of our identity, our history, and our culture. That is why we understand the anger, the sadness, and the disappointment,” they explained in a statement released on their social media.
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The controversy over a post about Argentina’s defeat
The controversy began a day after Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final held on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, when Rosalía shared a video on her TikTok account in which actress Mia Khalifa sang a fragment of the song ‘La Perla’ accompanied by the phrase: “How life sounds now that the pearls have been defeated,” in reference to the South American country’s loss.
Alongside the images, the verses “the local disappointment, national heartbreaker, an emotional terrorist, the greatest global disaster. He’s a gem, no one trusts him” could be heard, which led numerous Argentine users to interpret the post as a provocation and to express their rejection on social media.
