XPost: uk.politics.misc, can.politics, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
XPost: talk.politics.guns, sac.politics
https://www.9news.com.au/world/top-musician-sheku-kanneh-mason-forced-to- cancel-concert-after-air-canada-refused-to-give-his-priceless-cello-a- seat-on-plane/3517454f-6f0a-4303-a962-08791012d234
Famed British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who became a household name
after performing at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has
said he had to cancel a concert in Canada after the country's largest
airline denied his pre-booked seat for his cello.
Kanneh-Mason is currently on a winter tour in North America with his
sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, and the pair were scheduled to perform
in Toronto on Wednesday.
"We were deeply saddened not to be able to perform for you at Koerner Hall
last night. We had severe misfortune with the flights and tried our very
best to reach you," the duo said, addressing fans in Canada's biggest
city, in a joint statement posted on social media on Thursday.
"First we had delays, then a cancellation, and the day concluded by being denied boarding with the cello û despite having a confirmed seat for it û
on a new, final flight into Toronto. After nine anxious hours at the
airport, we realised our journey wasn't going to be possible," the
statement continued.
"We can only dream of a time when all airlines have a standardised, global
and carefully considered approach to the carriage of precious instruments
that are booked to travel in the cabin," they added.
CNN has reached out to Air Canada for comment.
According to his website, Kanneh-Mason's cello, which is on indefinite
loan to him, was made in 1700 by famed Venetian luthier Matteo Goffriller.
It is worth Ç3 million ($4.94 million), according to a short film about
the instrument.
The siblings, who said they are working to secure a new concert date for
next year, tagged Air Canada's social handle in the post.
Air Canada says on its website that it allows passengers to buy a seat for their musical instrument as long as it does not exceed 162.5 centimetres
in height/length or 36 kilograms in weight. However, it warns that the
number of instruments that each flight can accommodate is limited.
"This is a frequent and extremely frustrating experience for Sheku and
many professional musicians with instruments that need to travel in the
cabin of an aircraft," Kanneh-Mason's management at EMM Ltd/IMG Artists
said in a statement to CNN Friday.
"It seems that we can arrange and provide all the necessary tickets,
required specialist cello bookings, visas, proof of engagements and yet
all too regularly there is an inconsistency of experience and training
with booking systems and ground staff at airports," it continued.
"We would welcome some constructive discussion with the airline industry
body. Whilst Air Canada has now at least refunded all the tickets, we have
yet to receive any form of apology for their error which led to over a
thousand people having their concert tickets cancelled that evening," it
added.
Kanneh-Mason began to play the cello at age six and rose to fame after
giving a spellbinding performance at the wedding of Harry and Meghan in
2018. He was 19 years old at the time.
Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason are just two of seven musical siblings from Nottingham, England who play the piano, cello or violin.
--
November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump. We look
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Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
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Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
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