A Latin R&B artist sang a Spanish-language version of the US National Anthem before a Los Angeles Dodgers home game on Saturday, against the preference of the organization.
Vanessa Hernandez, a Dominican-American recording artist whose stage name is Nezza, requested to sing “El Pendón Estrellado” instead of the Star Spangled Banner prior to her performance. This request was denied by the organization.
On Sunday, Nezza posted a TikTok video showing a staff member of the Dodgers telling the singer explicitly to not sing the Spanish version. Defying that order, she sang El Pendón Estrellado behind home plate while wearing a Dominican Republic shirt.
Though it was not declared during the performance, the reason behind this decision was due to the ongoing ICE raids in LA and the protests and riots prompted by them, which Nezza revealed in a follow up TikTok video. Her parents being immigrants and the thought of them being “ripped away” also inspired her performance. Nezza stated she had to sing the Spanish version “para mi gente.” (For my people).
Nezza further stated, “I didn’t think I’d be met with any sort of no” from the Dodgers concerning a performance of the Spanish version. “Especially because we’re in LA, and with everything happening. I’ve sang the [English] national anthem many times in my life, but today, out of all days, I could not.”
The Athletic reports that the organization has not penalized Nezza or commented on her performance:
“Nezza was not punished or kicked out of the ballpark after her unexpected rendition of the anthem and is not expected to be banned from Dodger Stadium going forward. The Dodgers did not have any comment when asked by The Athletic about the video, which she herself posted after the fact,” the outlet reported.
