Music icon stops concert to shame parent for ‘irresponsible’ act in front of crowd of 26,000 fans

Colombian rapper Maluma halted his Mexico City gig to reprimand a parent for an ‘irresponsible’ act in front of a crowd of 26,000 fans.   

The music icon, 31, took to the stage at Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City last week for his + Pretty + Dirty World Tour.

But Maluma paused his show midway through to call an audience member who had brought their child along. 

The rapper, whose real name Juan Luis Londoño Arias, shamed the parent for taking their one-year-old to such a loud gig – and without ear protection. 

Speaking to the parent in Spanish, Maluma asked: ‘With all due respect… how old are they? A year old? Less? A year? 

‘Do you think it’s a good idea to bring a one-year-old baby to a concert where the decibels are this f***ing high? Where the sound is this loud?’

Colombian rapper Maluma halted his Mexico City gig last week to reprimand a parent for an ‘irresponsible’ act in front of a crowd of 26,000 fans

The music icon, 31, took to the stage at Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City last week for his + Pretty + Dirty World Tour

Maluma went on to say: ‘That baby doesn’t even know what it’s doing here. Next time, protect their ears or something. For real. It’s heavy. It’s your responsibility. 

‘You’re waving them around like they’re a toy. That baby doesn’t want to be there, for real. I’m telling you with all love and respect, now that I’m a father [I] would never bring them to a concert. For the next time, be a bit more aware.’

Fans praised Maluma for the call out, writing on social media: ‘This is really important and i hope raises awareness- there’s a serious lack of education when it comes to hearing protection even for adults at concerts :/ take care of your ears, friends,’;

‘Protecting fans, especially the most vulnerable, should always come before the performance, and he made that crystal clear,’;

‘Respect for maluma for speaking up babies need protection too some people just dont think about it hope that mom listens and learns,’;

‘I LOVE this… why tf is your baby at a loud concert packed with screaming adults for hours being treated like an accessory. there’s a time and place,’;

‘Good on Maluma for speaking up, protecting a child’s safety should come first,’; ‘Respect him for saying something instead of ignoring it, what is wrong with people omgg,’; 

‘Good for Maluma! Babies’ ears are incredibly sensitive and concerts can cause permanent damage. Parenting isn’t always about what you want.’

But Maluma paused his show midway through to call an audience member who had brought their child along

The rapper, whose real name Juan Luis Londoño Arias, shamed the parent for taking their one-year-old to such a loud gig – and without ear protection

Fans praised Maluma for the call out, writing on social media: ‘This is really important and i hope raises awareness’

The average decibels of a music concert can range from 94 – 110 dB, levels which can cause long-term damage to a person’s hearing after just two minutes of exposure.

Audiologist Hannah Samuels at Boots Hearingcare said she understands why Maluma spoke out and why he was right to have raised concerns.

‘Bringing a very young child to a loud concert without hearing protection is risky and potentially very harmful,’ she said. ‘Prolonged exposure to loud music can permanently damage the delicate structures of the inner ear and cause hearing loss and tinnitus. Because hearing loss is progressive and doesn’t hurt, people often don’t notice issues until they’re quite significant, and often irreversible.

‘Children’s ears are even more sensitive than adults’ as the ear canal is smaller, so sound pressure is higher, and their auditory system is still developing. That means loud noises can cause more harm, more quickly, which is why hearing protection for children should be non-negotiable at concerts, festivals, and even some sports events.

‘We urge parents to treat ear protection like sun cream, something you always lather on before letting your child out in the sun. We recommend earplugs or defenders with filters that reduce sound levels while still allowing you to enjoy the music. They should be worn by both parents and their children whenever decibel levels are expected to be high in order to protect your hearing in the long run.’

Maluma welcomed daughter Paris Londono Gomez with his girlfriend, architect Susana Gomez, last year.

Maluma welcomed daughter Paris Londono Gomez with his girlfriend, architect Susana Gomez, last year 

The couple revealed they were expecting in the music video for Maluma’s song Procura

‘On March 9th at 8:23 A.M. the love of our lives Paris Londoño Gomez was born. Thank you all for your birthday messages and well wishes…,’ he began as he announced the birth.

‘Serena Love: Thank you for fulfilling my biggest dream of being a Father, I will never forget that moment. I love them,’ he gushed in Spanish.

Maluma and Serena have been dating since 2020 – and announced they were having a baby in October 2023 in  his music video for Procura. 

The music video featured footage of the couple’s pregnancy journey, including the first look at Susana’s growing baby bump.