This story was produced in conjunction with MTV News.

Before the Latin fusion band, Yerba Buena, brought the funk, Representative Hilda Solis of California spoke some words of inspiration from the Presidential Stage. Solis was recently appointed by President-elect Obama to be Secretary of Labor (the first woman to hold this powerful position), and riled the crowd up with her Spanish rhyme, “! Se oye, se siente, las mujeres estan presente!”(“You hear it, you feel it, the women are here”).

After Solis’s speech, solo artist and lead singer of Yerba Buena, Cucu Diamantes, kicked off the group’s set with a welcome message to the President-elect,: “Oye Obama, bienvenidos a Washington”.

Although government representatives such as Hilda Solis and performers like Yerba Buena got a few cheers, there was no doubt about who got the crowd to push in their chairs and hit the floor: That’s right, it was Marc Anthony. As soon as J-Lo introduced her all-star hubbie, the ladies went wild and couples began to salsa. Even though Marc Anthony, the final performer, began almost an hour late, there was not a complaint to be heard; instead, the only sound besides the music was that of hundreds of voices, shouting “!si se puede!” in the background.

Check out more Inauguration photos on the Youth Radio Flickr stream.

See more from the Latino Ball at MTV News.

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