After spurring national debate with a Spanish US national anthem performance at the Dodgers’ home game over the weekend, Neza, a rising singer, dancer and social media personality, is watching a wave of gratitude after initially appearing to be a serious backlash.
According to the 30-year-old artist, she represents Dominican and Colombian roots in both her art and public life. The unexpected choice to sing “Erpendon Estrellado” was made despite instructions not to sing the team’s “Starspang Banner” in a language other than English.
The Spanish version of the national anthem was commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945.
In an interview with KTLA’s Rachel Menithov, Netza explained that the decision was a deliberate act of solidarity after frequent immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles and subsequent protests.
“I knew that the Latino community, 80%, 90% of those stands would be Latinos,” she said. “I did that for them.”
The singer added that she was totally hoping she would boo and was trying to lock it all out during the performance.
“When I saw everyone standing and cheering, I opened my eyes and heard the roars, it was so overwhelming, because I knew I had done the right thing,” she said.
In a video posted to Tiktok shortly after the performance, Netza shared an emotional explanation. “I felt I needed to do that. “I’m safe to say I’m never allowed at that stadium again.”
Music artist Neza will respond on Saturday, June 14th, 2025 after singing the national anthem before a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles San Francisco Giants.
While some fans say politics prefers to move away from sports, many have been critical of the World Series Championship organization’s silence during a surge of ice activities in cities filled with Latinx fans.
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On Tuesday, the Dodgers organization finally issued a statement saying this about Neza:
“There were no results or harsh feelings about her performance from the Dodgers. She was not asked to leave. We’ll be happy with her back.”
The singer told KTLA that she was surprised by the Dodgers’ statement. Because that wasn’t the first message she received from the organization, and the team representative told her manager that she should never call or email the team again.
Dodger fan Sean Irvin said he respected the singer’s choice to stand in the community.
“I just think someone needs to say something then and it feels like the Dodgers aren’t doing that,” he said. “So I was happy to see her do that.”
Another fan, Katie Aldana, repeated her feelings, saying that more people would like to do it.
“It’s getting political and I think what she did was great,” she said. “We need that more.”
Despite the Dodgers’ statement, Netza said she doesn’t feel she’s yet unwelcome at the stadium, but of course she acknowledged that things could change over time.
