NEW YORK – Sonia De Los Santos, a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, has joined a growing list of artists canceling performances at Washington’s Kennedy Center. She was initially scheduled for two children’s concerts on February 7, followed by an interactive session with the audience.
De Los Santos, who is of Mexican American descent, gained recognition when her 2018 album “¡Alegría!” was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the best children’s album category. She cited her cultural heritage as a significant factor in her decision to withdraw from the event.
Expressing her sentiments on Instagram, De Los Santos stated, “As an artist, my freedom to create and share music is invaluable, and I have long used this platform to highlight immigrant narratives in the U.S. Regrettably, I feel that the current atmosphere at this cherished venue does not offer a welcoming environment for me, my band, or our audience.”
In a message to The Associated Press, De Los Santos reiterated her Instagram post, choosing not to make further comments. Meanwhile, Kennedy Center representative Roma Daravi responded to her remarks about immigration policies.
“This nation was built by legal immigrants, and as a first-generation American, I find her comments deeply offensive,” Daravi expressed via email. “By choosing not to interact with an inclusive institution, she is, in fact, promoting discrimination.”
Several prominent figures, including “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and rock musician Peter Wolf, have also canceled appearances at the Kennedy Center. These decisions follow President Donald Trump’s dismissal of the previous leadership and his subsequent assumption of the board of trustees’ chairmanship last year. Trump’s actions highlight his ongoing battle against what he perceives as “woke” biases in cultural entities.
The board’s decision in December to rebrand the venue the Trump-Kennedy Center, a change that scholars say can only be enacted through Congress, led to a new wave of cancellations. Jazz musician Chuck Redd called off a planned Christmas Eve show, and the jazz group The Cookers withdrew from their New Year’s Eve concerts.
Last week, the Grammy-winning banjo player Bela Fleck announced that he had canceled three scheduled appearances next month with the National Symphony Orchestra, writing on social media that playing at the center had become “charged and political.” Ric Grenell, a diplomat and Trump ally whom the president appointed to lead the center, wrote on X that Fleck had “made it political and caved to the woke mob.”
Other recent withdrawals include “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz, who had been expected to host an opera gala in the spring, and the variety show Asian AF, whose shows in May were listed as canceled on the Kennedy Center website, then removed entirely. Daravi cited a “scheduling conflict.” A representative for Asian AF did not immediately responds to requests for comment.
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