Universitario de Deportes has removed the cumbia group La Bella Luz from the lineup of its anniversary concert, U Fest, after singer Naldy Saldaña publicly accused the band's musical director of improper touching.
The Peruvian football club announced the decision in a statement posted on its social media accounts, saying it acted jointly with the event's organizers. It said the move followed the public spread of serious allegations involving one of the group's members, and it expressed solidarity with the woman who filed the complaint.
Universitario said the rest of the artistic programming for U Fest would go ahead as planned, according to the original schedule. It added that it would announce within hours which international act would replace La Bella Luz on the bill.
What U Fest is
U Fest is the concert organized for Universitario's 102nd anniversary, set for Saturday, August 8, at the Estadio Monumental in Lima. Universitario is one of Peru's most popular football clubs. La Bella Luz is a Peruvian cumbia group whose musical director, César Sánchez Chavesta, is the man Saldaña accused.
Club's statement on the allegations
In its statement, Universitario said that as an institution it categorically rejected any conduct that attacked people's dignity and integrity, as well as any act that violated women's rights. It repeated that it stood in solidarity with the complainant.
The controversy began when Saldaña, a former member of La Bella Luz, broke down while describing what she said were incidents of improper touching. She said she felt alone because the group had not backed her.
The owners of La Bella Luz had responded to her allegations by telling her she had to get over it, a reaction that drew further criticism. The group later announced that Sánchez had left his role as musical director following the complaint, saying it was taking on the moment with deep responsibility.
