The northern Colombian city of Cartagena canceled a highly publicized performance by Richard Clayderman on Saturday, leaving the artist and hundreds of fans waiting at the venue.
Colombia’s Society of Authors and Composers will be suing the business representing Code 7 Events for money it says is owed to Clayderman for copyright infringement, according to a spokesperson for the society.
The international new age pianist did not know why his Saturday evening concert was canceled, and was left standing at the Cartagena Convention Center door in front of hundreds of his fans, all of whom paid between $100 and $1000 to attend, according to Colombia’s W Radio.
Santiago Benitez, representative of the firm Code 7 Events, told El Heraldo “We hired a broker to take care of the request for leave, but could not meet the payment of taxes Sayco and therefore Cartagena’s Secretary of the Interior did not give final permit,” Benitez said.
According to Sayco, Code 7 Events also held a Clayderman concert last Friday in Bogota without permission, and refused entry to Sayco employees.
Ticketholders are waiting to be reimbursed by Code 7 Events, and many have already filed complaints with the Prosecutor General.
Clayderman enjoys international renown for his “ethnic” compositions and easy listening renditions of popular music, including songs by the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and Stevie Wonder.
Cartagena, Bolivar
Sources
- Cartagena: responsables del concierto de Richard Clayderman no tenían permisos de Sayco (W Radio)
- Empresario de concierto de Clayderman dice que no pagó impuestos a tiempo (El Heraldo)
- Interview with Society of Authors and Composers (Colombia Reports)