She was told to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the game, but instead, she sang “El Pendón Estrellado." Vanessa Hernández, known to her online followers as Nezza, caused a bit of a stir with her performance at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers told Nezza that the club’s standard practice was to have anthem singers perform in English, according to the video shared by he singer.
“We are going to do the song in English today,” an unidentified Dodgers employee told her. “I’m not sure if that wasn’t relayed.”
Despite the directions, Nezza sang the Spanish translation anyway, while wearing a Dominican Republic shirt.
She explained on TikTok that she chose to sing “El Pendón Estrellado” in response to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations happening in Los Angeles. Her performance on Saturday also coincided with the "No Kings" protests across the country and the parade in Washington, D.C. celebrating the United States' Army.
"I just could not believe when she walked in and told me 'no'," said Nezza. "But I just felt like I needed to do it. Para mi gente. (For my people.)" She added, "I'm proud of myself for doing that today, cause my parents are immigrants."
The Dodgers did not have any comment when asked by The Athletic about Nezza's video, which she posted after her performance.
“El Pendón Estrellado,” the official Spanish version of the United States' national anthem, dates back to the 1940s. The translation, done by Peruvian-American composer and lyricist Clotilde Arias, was commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the U.S. Department of State in 1945. The Spanish version was intended to foster Roosevelt's goal of positive relations between the United States and neighboring Latin American countries. “El Pendón Estrellado” remains the only official translation of the national anthem allowed to be performed. A letter to Arias from the Department of State mentions a contract granting her $150 for a "satisfactory translation" in 1946.
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