Cable network giant Black Entertainment Television (BET) issued a profuse apology last night for a scheduling mix-up that saw the non appearance at the Music Festival of Elito Reve y su Charagon, who they had double-booked to be elsewhere.

The renowned Cuban band was slated to perform at Fairmont Hamilton on Wednesday night. In the band?s stead Siete Rayos, a pick-up band of journeymen musicians from around the US, took to the stage.

Organiser Paxton Baker, president of event productions for Black Entertainment Television (BET), denied that the US Consul had confiscated the tickets of the band members ? contradicting an onstage pronouncement by BET production manager Derek Lewis the reason for the change was due to the US Consul?s office confiscation the band?s plane tickets. reviewer, Ron Lightbourne, Mr. Lightbourne said many concertgoers expressed disappointment, saying the replacement band did not play the same type of music as the scheduled one.

When The Royal Gazette tried to interview replacement band Seite Rayos yesterday at their hotel, the head band member said BET had slapped a gag order on them.

Reviewer Ron Lightbourne said the band members told him they had never performed together before and the trumpeter said he was really a French Horn player and bought the trumpet for $100 two weeks ago when he got the gig.

A spokesperson for the Department of Tourism at the show said she had no idea the band on stage was not Elito until she heard people demanding refunds. But yesterday, Mr. Baker arrived in Bermuda and took responsibility for the mix-up, saying the band?s failure to appear was not due to confiscation of air tickets.

He said BET had slated Elito to perform in a concert in the Turks and Caicos earlier this year, but when Hurricane Francis hit the island, they moved the event to the end of October.

?Somewhere in the midst of moving that festival, we didn?t communicate to the Department of Tourism,? he said. ?It was an oversight and bad, bad lack of communication on the part of BET.?

While Mr. Baker could not say when the replacement band had been hired, he said that BET knew of the change at the beginning of September.

?We do a lot of events, it?s the first time we had to change one and we got caught in the vortex. It just fell through the cracks.?

Profusely apologetic during the interview, Mr. Baker said he had called both Tourism Minister Ewart Brown and Tourism Director Cherie Whitter to apologise on Wednesday night.

In Bermuda yesterday, he said BET was happy to offer full refunds to patrons of the Wednesday event. He said requests should be made through the Department of Tourism.

In 2002, the Department of Tourism signed a $700,000 deal with BET to produce the event. No figures were given for the price settled on this year, but asked how this would affect the contract, Mr. Baker said: ?I?ve told the tourist board, however they want to handle it.?

?I can?t stress enough that they (the Department of Tourism) had nothing to do with it. It was our mistake and I would like to apologise to the patrons who came to the event last night, and to the citizens of Bermuda, I am deeply sorry.?

Dr. Brown said: ?Our understanding is that BET did not produce the artist as promised. We have given refunds to all who have requested and we will be having further discussions with BET.?

Mr. Paxton said he hoped the matter did not ?overshadow? the event. ?It?s the first time Seal is in the Caribbean region,? he said. He said BET would be filming television specials of Seal?s act (which took place last night) and the O?Jays tonight.