LAPD Mariachi Band Plays Dodger Stadium First Responders Night

Mariachi Los Servidores, the all-law-enforcement mariachi band that charmed judges on America's Got Talent this summer, took the field before the Dodgers-Reds game on Labor Day and performed a Spanish-language rendition of 'Walking on Sunshine' to a Dodger Stadium crowd that had barely trickled in. The band's lead singer called out to the sparse audience during the set, according to the seed story's reporting, as the stands remained largely empty ahead of first pitch. The performance was part of First Responders Night, one of several themed pre-game programs the Dodgers have hosted this season, according to New York Post. Los Servidores appeared on Episode 7 of America's Got Talent Season 21, where the band earned unanimous approval from judges Simon Cowell, Mel B, Sofia Vergara, and Howie Mandel after performing a mariachi cover of 'Walking on Sunshine,' according to Police1. Cowell noted during the broadcast that he had initially anticipated a standard police choir, per the same outlet. Despite the strong reception on the show, Los Servidores did not advance past the Deliberations round in late July, a phase that narrowed roughly 100 passing acts down to 44 live contenders, according to the America's Got Talent Wiki. The band's national television run ended there, even as their profile continued to grow through appearances like the one at Dodger Stadium. Mariachi Los Servidores was founded in 2017 by LAPD Detective Chris Reza, who grew up in East Los Angeles listening to mariachi classics before joining the department, according to background from Union Station. The group was created as a way to build trust and improve relations between police and Latino communities through traditional Mexican music, per the same source. Its roster includes active-duty LAPD officers, department civilian employees, and Southern California sheriff's deputies, with lead vocals handled by an LAPD detective alongside field training officers and correctional deputies, Police1 reports. The band also works alongside Violins Not Violence, a non-profit founded by LAPD officers that donates musical instruments to inner-city school students across Southern California, according to Los Cerritos Community News. The program aims to give young students an alternative to gang involvement through music, the outlet notes. Before their national television exposure, Los Servidores regularly performed at local venues around Los Angeles, including National Night Out events in Boyle Heights and Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations at Union Station, according to Metro's The Source. Los Servidores is one of just two active law-enforcement mariachi groups in the United States, the other being the Bexar County Sheriff's Office's Mariachi La Ley in Texas, according to a Facebook post cited in the dossier. Both ensembles use traditional Mexican music as a form of specialized community outreach. Los Angeles law enforcement has leaned on mariachi performances for morale and public engagement before; a Rams mariachi band performed at the team's NFC Championship watch party at SoFi Stadium in January. The muted reception the band received fits a broader pattern at Dodger Stadium, where early pre-game slots tied to themed ticket packages often draw sparse crowds regardless of the act on the field. Access to First Responders Night's special merchandise and pre-game activities required fans to purchase a dedicated Special Event Ticket Package, according to MLB.com, a detail that likely limited how many fans were in their seats when Los Servidores took the field. The September 7 game against the Reds also opened a three-day run of consecutive theme nights at the ballpark, with Día de Los Dodgers following on September 8 and Nurses Night on September 9, according to the Ticketmaster Blog. That night's pre-game program extended beyond the band's performance, including recognitions for the LAPD, LAFD, and local medical workers, a military flyover, and a ceremonial first pitch delivered by LAFD Chief Jaime Moore, per a Facebook post from Dodgers Nation. Shohei Ohtani returned to the Dodgers' starting lineup for the game, per the Post's reporting, and the night came about three weeks after the Dodgers honored former pitcher Orel Hershiser with the 2,853rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 13.