Music Scam Alleged By Couples

Viva Entertainment Network dance promoters criticized after band played only three songs at Eagle’s Club

By H. Nelson Goodson
March 11, 2009

Milwaukee- Chicago’s Viva Entertainment Network (Viva) promoters associated with Aragon Entertainment Center, 1106 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL. are taking heat from numerous couples for being short changed when they attended the St. Valentine’s Dance at the Milwaukee Eagle’s Club in February.
The couples ended up paying 60 dollars for each person at the door. Because the advanced tickets were sold out. “In our party, there were three of us and we paid 180 dollars in total to get into the dance. We actually went to hear la Sonora Santanera de Carlos Colorado, who played last and only played three songs,” Odette Martinez said.
Martinez was very disappointed and wanted a refund. She along with her party went to speak with the Chicago Viva promoters collecting the tickets and cash from the dance. Martinez noticed they had left the event. That Saturday night in Milwaukee an estimated $75,000 was generated from the more than 1,500 people that attended including three hundred people who paid $60 at the door.
That same night La Sonora Santanera was also scheduled to perform at Los Globos Ballroom, and at the Aragon Entertainment Center Ballroom, both located in Chicago.
“I’m disappointed to hear that these Viva promoters generate thousands of dollars from fans of the groups performing and they can’t even refund any money to unsatisfied fans when for unexpected reasons a band failed to perform their full set,” said Julia Negrete Smith an avid dancer from Mexico D.F. who was at the event.
Martinez contacted Viva Entertainment who sponsored the dance at their contact number 773-561-9500, which was displayed on their advertisement post cards a few days after the event. She even went to Super Mercado El Rey on S. Cesar E. Chavez Dr. where advanced tickets were sold to complain about the mishap. Tickets for the Viva events are also sold at 7 Mile Fair.
Unfortunately after almost a month later, a representative from the Aragon Entertainment Center contacted her on Tuesday. Martinez said she tried to explain to the Aragon representative what had happened and he became rude, uncooperative and the call was disconnected.
When El Conquistador Newspaper contacted the Aragon representative by the name of Mike Uribe Junior, he said La Sonora Santanera, Grupo Montez de Durango, Banda Viento, and Jinetes de Tierra Caliente had sets of 45 minutes each to play. But, Martinez and other people attending the dance on February 14th confirmed La Sonora Santanera had just played three songs. When El Conquistador asked Junior, if Mrs. Martinez would get a refund? Junior replied that “he was not worried about it.” He also added that for years no one had ever made a complaint. “I guess no one had actually taken time to complain until now,” Martinez said.
On Tuesday, Martinez decided she doesn’t want a refund anymore, but would like to warned the Latino community in both Milwaukee and the Chicago area about the alleged music scam being conducted by Viva Entertainment and Aragon Entertainment Center from Chicago.
This multi-million dollar venue is not really what it seems to provide and advertise. Both, Viva Entertainment and Aragon Entertainment Center have failed to warned the public through their advertising bliss in the midwest that the groups performing will actually perform at least 45 minutes per set each, but in Martinez’s case La Sonora Santanera had only played three songs.
People who feel that they didn’t get their money’s worth of entertainment should contact these promoters and should ask for their refunds. The same Viva Entertainment promoters had El Recodo and other groups perform on March 7th and another venue with different groups is scheduled for March 21st at the Eagle’s Club once again. It’s a yearly million dollar operation, “which most likely these promoters don’t even get to pay a Wisconsin Tax,” commented a couple who did not want to be identified.
However, Martinez said she will contact the Wisconsin Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the Better Business Bureau, local news Telemundo TV 63 and Fox 6 television stations, and the state to make a complaint.
Controversy over the lack of refunding money, and taking responsibility for groups not performing their full sets by Junior and both Viva Entertainment and Aragon Entertainment Center continues to brew. Most likely, their inept representatives might cost them millions when people begin to discover that they are better off skipping the dance and head to a nearby local music store and buy a recent CD of the groups performing for much less. They can enjoy their music for hours, especially today when we are facing hard economic hardships.
The current owners operating under the name of Aragon Entertainment Center, are also the owners of Viva Entertainment, Viva Marketing Group and other venue throughout Chicagoland area, according to their internet web site.