White House Cancels Monday Night's Latin Music Party at the White House

TheBlaze's Fred Lucas contributed to this report.

Citing respect of victims and families from today's Navy Yard shooting, the administration has cancelled Monday's planned Latin music celebration at the White House.

First Lady Michelle Obama partakes in an event at Watertown High School to encourage people to drink more water, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013, in Watertown, Wis. Credit: AP

"In light of today’s tragic events at the Washington Navy Yard and out of respect for the victims and their families, Musica Latina will be postponed to a new date," an official schedule update emailed to the press said.

It has been postponed indefinitely and no scheduled make-up date has been announced.

The event was supposed to be another installment in the "In Performance at the White House" series, a program which began under President Jimmy Carter in 1978.

The White House had said earlier the the concert would be about “reflecting the influence of richly diverse Latino communities from throughout the Americas. The program celebrates the beauty and diversity of that music.”

It was to feature artists Natalie Cole, Lila Downs, Gloria Estefan, Raul Malo, Ricky Martin, Prince Royce, Arturo Sandoval, Romeo Santos, Alejandro Sanz and Marco Antonio Solis.

Originally, the plan was to air the concert on Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. on PBS stations nationally and on Oct. 13 on the American Forces Network.

Earlier in the day, First Lady Michelle Obama said the president would "shake his groove thing" at the concert.

“Now, the percussive beats and the buoyant melodies from these songs come just -- from just about everywhere,” she told students at a scheduled event to coincide with the celebration. “You'll learn they come from the Caribbean and Mexico, and from Central and South America, and also even from Africa and Europe.  And when you put all of that together, you can’t help but move to the music — even the president, you will see tonight, will shake his groove thing every now and then.”

This is a breaking story. Updates will be added.

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