Latin-R&B artist Nezza made headlines Saturday night when she performed The Star-Spangled Banner in Spanish at a Los Angeles Dodgers game. The singer said she had been told to sing the anthem in English but chose to go ahead with the Spanish version. A video she posted on TikTok shows a Dodgers representative asking her to perform in English, followed by footage of her Spanish-language anthem being met with cheers in the stadium.
Nezza’s TikTok post, which had more than 4 million views by Sunday afternoon, read: “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.”
In the clip, Nezza, wearing a Dominican Republic jersey, smiles as a Dodgers staffer politely tells her, “We are gonna do the song in English today. I’m not sure if that wasn’t relayed.” Nezza’s smile fades, and the video cuts before she responds.
Later that night, Nezza posted another video, this time tearful but proud. “Safe to say I’m never allowed in that stadium ever again,” she said. On Sunday, the Dodgers told the Los Angeles Times that Nezza would be welcome back and that there were no consequences from the performance.
Explaining her decision, Nezza said, “It was officially commissioned in 1945 by the U.S. State Department as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s good neighbor policy to strengthen ties with Latin America.” She added that she did not expect pushback, especially in a city like Los Angeles. “Today, out of all days, I could not [sing it in English]. I needed to do it. Everything I do is out of love.”
Nezza reflected on her family’s immigrant roots and the emotional weight of recent immigration crackdowns. “My parents are immigrants and have been citizens my whole life. I just can’t imagine them being taken away from me. What are we doing?” she said, wiping away tears.
The singer recently performed the anthem in English at an Oakland A’s game. Born to Colombian-Dominican parents, Nezza grew up in the Bay Area and moved to Los Angeles to pursue music. She released her debut EP, Club Solita, in 2021, and her latest single, “Classy,” came out on June 6.
The Dodgers have faced criticism for staying silent amid growing tensions over immigration raids. A recent column in the L.A. Times accused the team of failing to support its Latino fan base. While the organization has generally avoided political statements, player Kike Hernández spoke out on social media. He wrote, “Los Angeles and Dodger fans have welcomed me as one of their own. I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused, and ripped apart,” signing off with “#CityOfImmigrants.”
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