Another prominent musician has withdrawn from a scheduled performance at Washington's Kennedy Centre, citing the controversial decision to rename the venue the Trump-Kennedy Centre.
Artist Withdraws in Protest
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Sonia De Los Santos has cancelled her upcoming appearance at the prestigious venue. The Mexican American artist was due to perform two concerts for young audiences on 7 February, accompanied by a "creative conversation" session.
De Los Santos, whose 2018 album "¡Alegría!" received a Latin Grammy nomination for best children's album, announced her decision on Instagram. She stated that as an artist who uplifts immigrant stories, she no longer felt the venue represented a welcoming space for her, her band, or their audience.
"I treasure the freedom to create and share my music," she wrote, confirming the statement later to The Associated Press while declining further comment.
Centre Leadership Hits Back
The decision prompted a sharp response from Kennedy Centre spokesperson Roma Daravi. In an email, Daravi, identifying as a first-generation American, called the artist's statement "highly offensive."
"This country was built on legal immigrants," Daravi argued, adding that "refusing to engage with an institution open to everyone is, in fact, a step towards discrimination."
The rebrand to the Trump-Kennedy Centre was voted on by the board in December. However, constitutional scholars note that such a name change for the national cultural centre can only be officially enacted through an act of Congress.
A Growing Wave of Boycotts
De Los Santos joins a lengthening list of artists distancing themselves from the institution since President Donald Trump ousted its previous leadership early last year and arranged to head the board of trustees himself. Trump has positioned the centre within his broader campaign against what he terms "woke" bias in cultural institutions.
The December renaming vote triggered a fresh wave of cancellations:
- Jazz musician Chuck Redd cancelled a Christmas Eve show.
- The jazz group The Cookers withdrew from New Year's Eve concerts.
- Last week, Grammy-winning banjoist Béla Fleck called off three appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra, stating the venue had become "charged and political."
Ric Grenell, the Trump-appointed diplomat leading the centre, responded on X that Fleck had "made it political and caved to the woke mob."
Other recent withdrawals include Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, who was to host an opera gala, and the variety show Asian AF, whose May performances were listed as cancelled. The centre cited a "scheduling conflict" for the latter.
This pattern of artist boycotts highlights the deepening cultural and political divisions surrounding one of America's most iconic performing arts venues.
