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Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
After Singing ‘Star Spangled Banner' in Spanish at Dodgers Game in Spite of Being Warned Not To, Nezza Tearfully Says: ‘Today, Out of All Days… I Needed to Do It'
Latin-R&B singer Nezza made a stand at Saturday's Los Angeles Dodgers game, singing 'The Star Spangled Banner' in Spanish, even though she said she had been warned not to, going into the performance. A video posted by the singer on TikTok shows a Dodgers rep telling her the performance will need to be in English — cutting right to footage of the end of her National Anthem en espanol, which appears to be enthusiastically received in the ballpark. Nezza's original TikTok post about her Spanish-language rendering, which had more than 4 million views as of Sunday afternoon, was captioned: 'Watch the Dodgers tell me I can't sing the Spanish 'Star Spangled Banner that Roosevelt literally commissioned in 1945… So I did it anyway.' More from Variety Ingrid Andress Talks Frankly About the National Anthem That Made Her 'America's Punching Bag,' and Being 'Terrified' Before Her Joyful Do-Over: 'You Can't Mess It Up Twice' Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Joins Ice Cube for 'It Was a Good Day' at World Series Championship Celebration World Series Game 5 Scores 18.6 Million Viewers for Fox Sports as Dodgers Clinch the Title; Most-Watched in Seven Years It includes a shot of the singer, who was wearing a Dominican Republic jersey, smiling before a friendly-sounding rep informs her, 'We are gonna do the song in English today. I'm not sure if that wasn't relayed.' Nezza's smile immediately evaporates upon hearing this, and the video cuts off before registering any verbal reply. In a subsequent, tearful TikTok post on Saturday night, Nezza said, 'Safe to say I'm never allowed in that stadium ever again.' On Sunday, though, the Dodgers suggested to the Los Angeles Times that there were no hard feelings, telling a reporter on background that 'there were no consequences from the club regarding the performance and that Nezza would be welcome back at the stadium in the future.' In her Saturday night video, Nezza — who is laughing at the start of the clip and wiping away tears by end — explained her intentions. 'Bear with me 'cause I'm still very shaken up and emotional,' she said, reiterating that her version is part of the government-authorized history of the anthem in the U.S. 'You can Google it, (but) I'll just read it to you really quick: 'It was officially commissioned in 1945 by the U.S. State Department as a part of President Franklin Roosevelt's good neighbor policy to foster a better relationship with Latin America.' She continued, 'Because of this, I didn't think I would be met with any sort of, like, no, especially because we're in L.A., and with everything happening. And I've sung the national anthem (in English) many times in my life, but … today out of all days I could not, I'm sorry. 'I just could not believe when she walked in and told me no. I just felt like I needed to do it. For anyone who's been following me for a while, you know everything I do is out of love,' she continued. 'And I am proud of myself for doing that today. Because my parents are immigrants and they've been citizens my whole life at this point. They got documented really early, but I just can't imagine them being ripped away from me, just even at this age, let alone (as) a little kid. What are we doing?' 'Anyways, sorry, this is a whole different side of me that y'all never see,' Nezza said, wiping her eyes with a tissue. 'But thank you for all the sweet messages. … Safe to say I'm never allowed in that stadium ever again. But I love you guys so much.' Most recently, Nezza sang an English version of 'The Star Spangled Banner' at an A's game in her native Bay Area on June 3, which may be where the Dodgers learned of her ability to nail the anthem. The singer-songwriter dancer is of Colombian-Dominican origin, and grew up in the Bay Area, graduating from Santa Clara High before moving to L.A. to pursue music. In October 2021, she released her debut EP, 'Club Solita.' She has recorded much of her music in English, although her most popular Spotify track, by far, is 'Corazon Frio.' She has been working on a debut album, preceded by a new single, 'Classy,' that came out June 6 on the Plush label. The Dodgers have been under fire in some quarters for not taking a stand on the ICE raids. L.A. Times sports columnist Dylan Hernández sparked controversy with a column bearing the headline 'Cowardly Dodgers remain silent as ICE raids terrorize their fans.' Wrote the columnist, 'The Dodgers boast that more than 40% of their fan base is Latino, but they can't even be bothered to offer the shaken community any words of comfort.' Although the extreme crackdown on immigrants has been wildly unpopular in the L.A. area, the Dodgers organization was never likely to speak up about it, given the team's historical determination to remain strictly apolitical. The team may have become further wary still after being criticized from all ends of the spectrum for its handling of a satirical drag squad being invited, uninvited and then re-invited to be among the honorees at a Pride night in 2023. Last week, as tensions flared in the city, team manager Dave Roberts said, 'I just hope that we can be a positive distraction for what people are going through in Los Angeles right now.' Later in the week he responded to a reporter's inquiry by saying that he had not 'dug enough and can't speak intelligently on it.' However, popular team member Kike Hernandez felt emboldened to post about the unrest on his Instagram page, in both Spanish and English. 'I may not be Born & Raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own,' he said. 'I am saddened and infuriated by what's happening in our country and our city. 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. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.' He signed off with the hashtag '#CityOfImmigrants.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Singer performs national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium amid ICE protest tension
Singer and social media personality Nezza performed the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night, despite being told beforehand she was expected to sing it in English. 'So we are going to do it in English today. I'm not sure if that was relayed,' an official can be heard saying in a video Nezza posted on social media. Instead, she chose to sing the Star-Spangled Banner in Spanish — a version originally commissioned in 1945. In a video posted to TikTok, Nezza shared an emotional explanation: 'I just felt like I needed to do it. Para mi gente,' she said. 'Safe to say I'm never allowed in that stadium ever again.' The performance came during heightened tension in Los Angeles surrounding recent ICE activity, with some residents urging high-profile organizations, like the Dodgers, to speak out — and others urging them to stay silent. 'I don't feel like they should,' fan Yvonne Esquivel told KTLA's Jennifer McGraw. 'Keep sports, sports. And when it's a community action type of response, then let the community speak.' 'You know, you have differences on both sides, and I think they should remain neutral,' said another fan, Walter Jones. 'Everybody has an opinion, and I think personally, when it comes to sports, it's sports.' Others disagree. 'We are really disappointed that the Dodgers, given their influence in the city and their importance to the culture, haven't said anything publicly about the horrors that people are going through,' said Mike Hurst, a longtime fan. The team has not released an official statement regarding the protests or ICE raids but did clarify that fan misconduct will not be tolerated. During a recent game, a spectator was removed from the stands for holding an anti-ICE sign, prompting both boos and cheers from the crowd. Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernández addressed the issue on social media, writing: 'This is my second home, and I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.' Manager Dave Roberts, when asked by the Los Angeles Times, said: 'I just hope that we can be a positive distraction for what people are going through in Los Angeles right now.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
