Mexico City Gears Up for 2013 Corona Capital Music Festival · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

John Talabot cancelled his performance at the festival for security reasons. Photo from Rémy DUGOUA on Flick under Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The Corona Capital 2013 (#CC13) music festival that will take place in Mexico City on October 12 and 13 will have performances from post-BritPop musicians such as Travis, Stereophonics, Miles Kane, Jake Bugg and Arctic Monkeys, as well as acts more related to the Indie scene.
Last year the festival was involved in a controversy created by the members of the youth movement called #YoSoy132 (I am 132), since the event is organized by a corporation related to the giant media company Televisa, which the mentioned movement was opposed to.
This year has not been lacking in controversy either, since one of the musicians who was going to perform at #CC13 announced the cancellation of his participation for security reasons. This performer is Spaniard John Talabot:
Cancelamos nuesto tour en mexico por motivos de seguridad. Nos alegramos que nuestros amigos delorean esten bien. http://t.co/2JhJty8dPT
— John Talabot (@JohnTalabot) October 8, 2013
We are cancelling our tour in Mexico for security reasons. We are glad that our friends Delorean are well.
According to Verónica Chávez Aldaco [es], the reason for the cancellation is the kidnapping that the artist experienced along with his friends from Delorean in Mexico City after performing at the Mutek Festival:
El asunto estuvo así: después del Mutek, delincuentes haciéndose pasar por policías, les llamaron a su hotel para comunicarles que por cuestiones de seguridad debían cambiarse a otro. En ese inter y ya bajo su poder, los amenazaron y despojaron de sus teléfonos. Fue entonces que los extorsionadores llamaron a sus familias en España para pedir rescate.
It happened like this: after Mutek, delincuents pretending to be policemen came to their hotel to tell them that for security reasons they should change hotels. Then, already under their power, they were threatened and had their phones taken from them. It was then that the extortionists called their families in Spain to ask for ransom money.
The members of the band are safe, but this occurrence shows that the artistic and performing professions are not separate from the crisis of violence and insecurity that Mexico is going through. The user Alessia said this on the topic:
#SóloEnMéxico un músico (John Talabot) tiene que cancelar su aparición en un festival por haber sido secuestrado #CC13 pésima imagen de país
— Alessia (@Alessia_mx) October 8, 2013
Only in Mexico does a musician (John Talabot) have to cancel his appearance at a festival because he was kidnapped. Terrible image of the country
On the official site [es] of #CC13 you can read this description of Talabot's work:
John Talabot ha pasado ser un productor semidesconocido a convertirse en una de las grandes revelaciones de la electrónica y en un artista capaz de cautivar a Ewan Pearson, colarse en la lista de lo mejor del año de Pitchfork, colaborar con Delorean y sentar cátedra en lo que a house orgánico y envolvente se refiere. Siguiendo los pasos de Four Tet y cruzando el Northern soul con el sonido de Chicago.
John Talabot has gone from being a somewhat unknown music producer to being one of the great revelations of electronica and an artist capable of captivating Ewan Pearson, being on the best of the year list from Pitchfork, collaborating with Delorean and being at the top of everything related to organic house. Following in the footsteps of Four Tet and crossing Northern soul with the sound of Chicago.
In spite of John Talabot's cancellation, many people have expressed their enthusiasm for the festival on Twitter, including those who still don't have a ticket, such as Daniela Gutiérrez:
Vendo mi cuerpo a cambio de un boleto para el #CC13 y llorar con Stereophonics #AhNoVerdad
— Daniela Gutierrez (@Danni_Gutierrez) October 9, 2013
I'll sell my body in exchange for a ticket to #CC13 and cry with Stereophonics
Some such as ForeverOpioverde have even mentioned that they would change their look for the event:
Adivinen quien se corto el cabello como los 60´tas para estar a doc’ con el domingo :) retrooo!
— ForeverOpioverde (@opioverde) October 9, 2013
Guess who cut her hair 60's style to be ready for Sunday :) retro!
Andru Rdz simply expressed her feelings about #CC13 in this way:
Faltan pocos días para el #CC13 ahhhh que emoción!
— Andru Rdz (@andru270) October 9, 2013
Only a few days left until #CC13 ahhhh so exciting!
The user Cuervo Eterno shared the schedule he plans to follow on the second day of the event:
#CC13 Domingo: tempranito para Jake Bugg, descansar para Miles Kane, imperdibles The Breeders, correr a Arctic Monkeys y cerrar con Grimes
— cuervo eterno (@sircuervo) October 9, 2013
#CC13 Sunday: nice and early for Jake Bugg, rest for Miles Kane, can't miss The Breeders, run to Arctic Monkeys and close with Grimes
To see schedule changes as well as the latest information, go to the Corona Capital [es] website.