Gerrard Kaonga
Singer Vanessa Hernández, popularly known as Nezza, broke down in tears as she explained what was happening behind the scenes as she performed at the Dodger Stadium over the weekend.
On Saturday (June 14), the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the San Francisco Giants in California, with the Latin pop singer invited to perform the national anthem.
Nezza, who is of Colombian-Dominican origin, sang 'The Star-Spangled Banner' before the baseball game but performed the official Spanish version commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1940s, 'El Pendón Estrellado'.
However, this apparently ended up landing her in hot water.
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In one TikTok video, she claimed that she was told not to perform it in Spanish and said it was standard club practice to have anthem singers perform in English.
In the brief clip, an unidentified Dodgers employee can be heard saying: “We are going to do the song in English today. I’m not sure if that wasn’t relayed.”
Although she nodded along in agreement with the employee, the star chose to sing the song in Spanish anyway while donning a Dominican Republic shirt.
Explaining her actions in a follow-up video, Nezza said she did this in response to the recent US Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown in Los Angeles.
And remarked that she doesn’t expect she’ll ever be invited back to the stadium.
Nezza said: “I didn’t think I would be met with any kind of no, especially because we are in LA and with everything happening.
“I have sung the national anthem many times in my life but today of all days, I could not, I am sorry.
“I just could not believe when she talked in and told me no, but I just felt I needed to do it.”
Struggling to hold back tears, she continued to explain that everything she does 'is out of love' and added she was 'proud of herself' for singing it in Spanish.
Nezza added: “My parents are immigrants and they have been citizens my whole life, they got documented really early, but I just can’t imagine them being ripped away from me, even at this age.”
In another clip, she thanked her fans and new supporters who offered her words of encouragement.
Nezza also clarified that the stadium staff didn’t outright say she was 'banned' but that at this point she assumes so as they allegedly told her she would 'never sing there again'.
According to the LA Times, a team official said there 'were no consequences from the club regarding the performance' and that she would be 'welcome back at the stadium in the future'.
UNILAD has contacted the Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium for comment.