A video recorded weeks before singer Naldy Saldaña publicly denounced inappropriate touching by La Bella Luz musical director César Sánchez Chavesta has begun circulating on social media, showing her visibly affected as he delivered a pointed message to the rest of the group.
The footage comes from a livestream during the release of the song 'Y qué pasó,' performed by Fernanda Urbina. Sánchez Chavesta took the microphone and spoke about people who leave the orchestra. When he finished, the camera turned to Saldaña, a former member of the Chiclayo-based cumbia group, who sat in silence wearing dark glasses.
The message from César Sánchez Chavesta
The livestream took place on July 19, several weeks before Saldaña made public her complaint about alleged inappropriate touching that she said occurred in June. It also came amid the resignations of Fiorella Castillo and Baruj Ocharán, former vocalists of the group.
During the broadcast, several band members dedicated words to Urbina to celebrate her new single. But it was Sánchez Chavesta's remarks that drew attention once Saldaña's complaint became known.
Sánchez Chavesta said there would always be good people and bad people trying to bring the group down. He said it was rare for someone who leaves the orchestra to speak well of it afterward, adding that, as his cousin put it, they had grown calluses from hearing it so often. He then addressed anyone who might eventually decide to leave.
He said he knew other people might leave the group but urged them to leave on good terms with the place that fed them, warning that in this world everything comes back around, and that speaking badly of the people who feed you reflects on you later and tends to go badly for you. Sánchez Chavesta has since been removed from the orchestra.
Why the footage matters now
After finishing his remarks, Sánchez Chavesta approached Urbina to congratulate her on the song's release. Unlike other members, Saldaña did not applaud. Moments later, the footage shows her raising a hand to her face to wipe away tears, a scene that has drawn renewed attention since she revealed her reasons for leaving La Bella Luz.
Days after that broadcast, on July 27, Saldaña officially announced her resignation in a statement. She said at the time that her decision was not related to money or an offer from another group, and that she had discussed it with the orchestra's owners more than a month earlier, though she kept her reasons private.
Later, during a segment on the program 'Magaly TV, la firme,' Saldaña explained that she left the group after reporting alleged inappropriate touching. She said she had spoken many times with someone she referred to as don Óscar and nothing was done, and that she was only told to stay calm and that she needed to get over it little by little.
