After Dodger Stadium controversy, Nezza drops ‘El Pendón Estrellado' as single

Los Angeles Times

30-07-2025

Nezza will keep on singing the 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in Spanish.
The 30-year-old singer — whose real name is Vanessa Hernández — released a single version of 'El Pendón Estrellado' on Wednesday.
She made headlines last month after performing the song at Dodger Stadium, despite being told by an unnamed representative of the baseball organization that she sing the national anthem in English.
Nezza uploaded the interaction on TikTok and proceeded to sing the Spanish version anyway. She captioned the video, 'para mi gente [heart] I stand with you.' In a follow-up TikTok video, she clarified that her decision to follow through with singing 'El Pendón Estrellado' was in response to the ongoing immigration sweeps throughout Los Angeles.
'I've sang the national anthem many times in my life but today out of all days, I could not,' Nezza said in the second TikTok video.
The Dodgers did not issue a public comment on Nezza's social media posts, but a team official said there were no consequences from the club regarding the performance and that Nezza would be welcome back at the stadium in the future.
Half of all proceeds from the new recording will go directly to the South-Central L.A. organization A Place Called Home, which provides arts, educational enrichment, academic support and wellness programs designed to inspire, encourage and support children in achieving social, emotional and economic success.
Children who have participated in the organization's arts programs are featured in the official video for the song as well. Included in the video are three young guitarists, a bass player, a piano player and a drummer/audio engineer. Additionally, the lighting engineer and another audio engineer were children in the arts program.
According to a press release, the other half of the proceeds will go to various immigrant rights groups, including Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project.
''El Pendón Estrellado' is more than just a song; it's a profound statement of unity and a tribute to the diverse voices that enrich America,' the singer continued in her press release. 'I sang the anthem in Spanish for my people. For my culture. For everyone who's ever been made to feel like they don't belong.'
In 1945, the U.S. State Department looked to commission a Spanish version of the national anthem, per the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who looked to strengthen political and business partnerships with Latin American countries amid World War II. That same year, the Division of Cultural Cooperation within the Department of State, in collaboration with the Music Educators National Conference, invited submissions for the song in Spanish and Portuguese to promote American patriotism throughout Latin America.
Composer and musician Clotilde Arias — who immigrated to New York in 1923 at the age of 22 from Iquitos, Peru — submitted 'El Pendón Estrellado,' which included singable lyrics that conveyed the original patriotic essence of 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' It was accepted as the only official translation of the national anthem allowed to be sung, according to the National Museum of American History.
'The lyrics and the story are the same. We're still saying we're proud to be American,' Nezza told The Times last month. 'Latino people are a huge part of building this nation. I think [the song] shows how we are such an important piece to the story of America.'
Nezza will continue to raise funds for the immigrant community in L.A., performing at a charity concert at the Roxy in West Hollywood on Aug. 29. All the proceeds from the event will be given to immigration defense nonprofits. Additionally, a canned food and toy drive will be launched with all items going to This Is About Humanity, an advocacy group that focuses on family separations and reunification at the U.S.-Mexico border.