Singer Nezza explains why she sang US National Anthem in Spanish at Dodgers game; says team objected

CNN

5 hours ago

Amid the ongoing protests across the country over the weekend and continued frustrations in Los Angeles over US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, one singer decided to take a stand with her performance at a Dodgers game.
Nezza, whose full name is Vanessa Hernández, performed the song Saturday. She said she was first planning on singing the US National Anthem in Spanglish, but, with the ongoing immigration raids, she decided to do the song in Spanish only.
She says a team employee told her not to. That didn't deter her, and she performed the song in Spanish anyway.
'I didn't really see an issue with it and I wanted people to know that I'm with them and I'm standing by them,' Nezza told CNN on Tuesday.
An unidentified person, who Nezza says is a Dodgers employee, can be heard on a video saying to the singer, 'We are going to do the song in English today, so I'm not sure if that wasn't relayed.'
That video, which Nezza shared on TikTok, now has over 12 million views.
About two weeks before the game, Nezza said that she and her team sent an email to the Dodgers team asking to sing the National Anthem in both languages. 'As everything started to unfold and we got closer to the day, the raids – like everything, it was like a couple days before that – I was like, actually, I'm going to do it fully in Spanish,' Nezza said.
In response, Nezza said, the Dodgers sent a PDF file that went through the song guidelines, but they never said no to her request.
In the email to the team, Nezza said her managers included the history of the song and why she felt it was important to sing that version. The version of the song is titled 'El Pendón Estrellado' and was written by Clotilde Arias after the Division of Cultural Cooperation of the Department of State asked for submissions for translations of the 'Star Spangled Banner' in 1945 in Spanish and Portuguese, according to the Smithsonian.
It was all part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 'Good Neighbor Policy' toward Latin America.
Following her performance, the Dodgers employee – who she will not name – called Nezza's manager almost immediately and told them to never call or email them again, and that their client was not welcome back, according to the singer.
The Dodgers have not responded to any of CNN's questions, but said in a statement that there were 'no consequences or hard feelings' regarding Nezza's performance.
Nezza said she hasn't been contacted by the team and doesn't plan on attending the stadium again. 'I don't feel welcome to come back,' she said.
Her parents are immigrants from Colombia and the Dominican Republic, who Nezza says became US citizens when she was younger.
Her parents are 'overjoyed' with her performance, the singer said.
Nezza added that many of the team's fans are Latino, saying, 'The lyrics are the same, I was still singing that I'm a proud American.'
Her performance took place the same day that demonstrators filled streets across the country for the 'No Kings' protest and as frustrations in Los Angeles continued because of ICE raids that took place within the past few weeks.
While the team hasn't outwardly spoken on the ongoing frustrations of the ongoing immigration crackdowns ICE raids that have been happening in the city, star player Dodgers player Kike Hernández, a native of Puerto Rico, showed his support for Los Angeles in an Instagram post.
'I am saddened and infuriated by what's happening in our country and our city,' Hernández said in part. 'Los Angeles and Dodger fans have welcomed me, supported me and shown me nothing but kindness and love.'
'This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart,' He added. 'ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.'