State Department Computer Problems Cancel King Sunny Adé Performance

The performance by King Sunny Adé & His African Beats, scheduled for the Lobero Theatre on July 17, has been canceled on account of an international computer failure in the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Due to the crash, United States consulates have been incapable of issuing visas and thus King Sunny Adé’s tours in both Canada and the United States have been called off. Adé, a Nigerian musician and singer-songwriter, is characterized by the Lobero as the “King of Juju Music” for his combination of western pop and traditional African music.

On June 23, The State Department posted an update stating that its system is expected to be returned to full functionality within the week. According to the update, the backlog includes the standard 50,000 applications dealt with daily, The State Department is prioritizing urgent humanitarian cases and temporary agricultural workers.

King Sunny Adé’s performance, which had already moved from June 12 to July 17, will not be rescheduled in the near future according to Angie Bertucci, media contact for the Lobero.