Village People Sing Happy Birthday to Marco Rubio in India
Village People performed at a U.S. independence celebration in New Delhi where Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian officials and received a surprise birthday serenade.
Rubio is currently in India for high-level diplomatic meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and other senior officials. American Ambassador Sergio Gor and his team organized the gala event to launch commemorations ahead of the July milestone, while also arranging a surprise birthday celebration for the secretary of state, whose birthday falls on May 28.
New Delhi Television reported that Gor invited Rubio onstage toward the event’s conclusion, where he was greeted with a large birthday cake and the surprise musical performance. The Village People lineup that appeared is the current formation led by founding member Victor Willis—the group’s police officer persona—who has publicly supported President Donald Trump‘s use of the band’s signature anthem “Y.M.C.A.” Following the birthday serenade, the band delivered a performance of that iconic track.
The 250th anniversary celebration featured a mix of American and Indian performers, along with speeches from Rubio and Jaishankar.
President Trump also participated remotely, calling in to address attendees at the Bharat Mandapam venue.
We have never been closer to India, and India can count on me and our country 100 per cent, the president said by telephone, adding that the relationship is setting records and India knows where to call if assistance is needed.
During a press conference in New Delhi on Sunday, Rubio addressed U.S. immigration policy reforms currently underway.
The secretary of state clarified that the modernization of America’s migration system is being applied globally, not specifically targeting India, emphasizing that all national policies must serve the country’s interests.
On Monday, CBS News captured images of the Village People visiting the Taj Mahal alongside Rubio and Ambassador Gor.
Willis, whose band is currently touring Europe, took to social media to mark the historic occasion, noting it was the first time Village People had ever performed in India.
Willis highlighted on Facebook that the performance coincided with Rubio’s birthday, for whom the band sang before launching into “YMCA.”
Founded in the New York area in 1977, Village People became one of America’s most successful musical acts. Willis, who co-wrote many of the band’s hits with co-founder Jacques Morali, originally departed around 1980. The group continued performing for decades under the leadership of Felipe Rose—the Native American member—and David Hodo, the construction worker character, with various rotating performers. Willis rejoined in 2017 after a lengthy legal battle to reclaim copyright control of his compositions and the Village People trademark.
Willis has openly embraced Trump’s adoption of “Y.M.C.A.,” which the president popularized through his campaign trail dance moves. This stance contrasts sharply with former band members, particularly Rose, who has publicly opposed Trump and distanced himself from any political ties to the administration. Rose, a fixture in the Asbury Park, New Jersey music community, has faced harassment from left-wing activists who mistakenly believed he was part of Willis’s current lineup and called him a “traitor.”
Willis initially resisted Trump’s use of the song in 2024 due to what he described as a “nuisance,” Breitbart News reports, but reversed course after witnessing younger generations rediscover the track.
The singer acknowledged substantial financial benefits, estimating that “Y.M.C.A.” would gross several million dollars from the president-elect’s continued use of the song.
Willis has also consistently pushed back against characterizations of “Y.M.C.A.” as exclusively a gay anthem.
With information from Breitbart News
