Spanish singer-songwriter Natalia Jiménez may forgive, but she will not forget. At least that's what the former lead vocalist of La Quinta Estación showed this week during a trip to Los Angeles, California.
Her memory gets even better when she is insulted for being Latina. So, a year after she was kicked out of a restaurant for speaking in Spanish - with her daughter, no less- the most Mexican of the Spanish artists and one of the best voices in Latin music decided to go back and be even louder than before.
What happened to Natalia Jiménez in Los Angeles
She had just concluded a series of concerts in the city as part of her "20 Años Tour" when she went to renowned restaurant Gigi's, in the heart of Hollywood. While seated, she took out her phone to call her daughter on FaceTime.
The situation escalated from there and música mexicana artist was kicked out for being "too loud" even though she said there were four women at a table near her speaking at a much higher volume.
"This isn't the first time I've felt discriminated against for speaking Spanish in the United States, but today was unbelievable!! I was talking to my daughter on FaceTime in the restaurant, and it turned out that it bothered the people at the restaurant so much that they kicked me out,even though there was a table next to me with four girls talking louder than I was!!! It bothered them that I was speaking in Spanish," detailed the artist at the time.
That evening she took to her Instagram to share her experience with her fans. It left a bad taste in her mouth, as all the evidence available to her pointed to this being an incident of racism and discrimination. She used the incident to raise awareness about the discrimination Latinos receive in the United States for speaking their native language.
The act did not go unnoticed. The virtual community expressed support for the singer, filling her post with supportive messages. One follower even encouraged others to leave negative reviews on Google about Gigi's restaurant. Not only fans but also colleagues like Samo, a former member of the band Camila, shared a message on Natalia Jiménez's post, recalling that his manager had also faced discrimination in West Hollywood for speaking Spanish. Additionally, the Mexican artist made a promise to herself to rectify the experience.
Natalia Jiménez goes back to Gigi's with mariachis
Determined to turn this negative experience around, she decided to do something bold. A year later, the singer of such hits as "El color de tus ojos" and "Creo en mí!" returned to Gigi's restaurant, but not to dine.
Jiménez arrived with the mariachi band Mariachi Mi Jalisco at the restaurant's entrance and started serenading the staff and customers with some of her most famous songs, fully in Spanish. She called it an act of "peaceful protest," fulfilling a promise she made to herself last year.
@nataliajimenezoficial Cumplí mi promesa! Por fin pude regresar a regalarles esta serenata a la gente del restaurante que no me trató tan lindo, para que con este pequeño detalle puedan apreciar lo lindo que es nuestro idioma y que la gente de habla hispana somos gente de bien, cordial y amigable. ❤️ Espero les haya gustado, al menos uno de sus empleados hispanos, salió feliz a apoyarnos. 🥰 🎥 @Arnold Hemkes ❤️ #cumplir #promesa #paz #amor #hispanos #respeto #orgullo #responsabilidad #social #protesta #protestapacifica #hispanic #proud #respect #socialresponsibility #social #responsability #protest #peace #love #mariachi #regional #regionalmexicano
♬ sonido original - Natalia Jiménez
Fans on social media voiced their support, commenting that they would be there singing with her if they could. So be aware, Natalia Jiménez is the second round around the U.S. of her tour "Antología 20 años", if you are lucky, she may organize an impromptu serenade in your city next.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
