Last week, Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Raul Ruiz (CA-36), and CHC Vice Chair Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) led the CHC in nominating 33 works by Latino musicians for inclusion in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
“The National Recording Registry’s very existence speaks to the importance of music and broadcast in American culture and society. Music brings people from all different backgrounds together, and Latino music has had an indelible influence across the American music spectrum on every genre from jazz, rhythm and blues, country, pop, and hip-hop. Yet, Latino contributions in music have been insufficiently recognized,” the members wrote in their nomination letter. “As an art, the diversity of the Latino sound can be heard in every measure and resonates with every beat…These songs were selected with feedback from the public, and they reflect the diversity of Latino identities, histories, and geographies. We hope you will give each of these songs listed below careful consideration and that we will see many of them included in the National Recording Registry.”
The National Recording Registry is the nation’s preeminent archive of recorded sound. Established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the registry is intended to maintain and preserve sound recordings and collections of sound recordings that have cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance to life in the United States. On an annual basis, the National Recording Preservation Board selects 25 recordings to add to the registry and preserve in the Library of Congress. The Registry currently contains 600 works, of which just 23 (3.8%) were recorded by Latino musicians.
To view the full nomination letter, visit castro.house.gov/imo/media/
The works nominated by Rep. Castro and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus were drawn from hundreds of public suggestions submitted through social media. The list was crafted to highlight musicians with no prior songs on the Registry and works were intentionally chosen to represent the diversity of the Latino experience—including Spanish-language and bilingual tracks, tracks from Afro-Latino and LGBTQ+ Latino musicians, and musicians from across the Latino diaspora.
The full CHC list of nominations to the National Recording Registry is:
• Wasted Days and Wasted Nights (song) by Freddy Fender (1974)
• Flashdance… What a Feeling (song) by Irene Cara (1983)
• Corridos Prohibidos (album) by Los Tigres Del Norte (2009)
• Amor Eterno (song) by Juan Gabriel (1990)
• Hips Don’t Lie (song) by Shakira (2005)
• El Rey (song) by Vicente Fernandez (1972)
• Romance (album) by Luis Miguel (1991)
• The Power of the Moon (album) by Lumbre Del Sol (1999)
• The Candy Man (song) by Sammy Davis Jr. (1972)
• Paloma Negra (song) by Chavela Vargas (1961)
• El Cantante (song) by Héctor Lavoe (1978)
• Luna Llena (song) by Elida Reyna y Avante (1994)
• ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? (album) by Maná (1992)
• Suavemente (song) by Elvis Crespo (1999)
• Genie in a Bottle (song) by Christina Aguilera (1999)
• I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) (song) by Pitbull (2009)
• Lost in Emotion (song) by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (Lisa Velez) (1987)
• Fuiste Tú (song) by Ricardo Arjona featuring Gaby Moreno (2011)
• Black Sunday (album) by Cypress Hill (1993)
• J. Lo (album) by Jennifer Lopez (2001)
• Gasolina (song) by Daddy Yankee (2004)
• Sure Thing (song) by Miguel (2010)
• (Hey Baby) Que Paso (song) by Texas Tornadoes (1990)
• It Must Be Him (song) by Vikki Carr (1967)
• Feliz Navidad (song) by José Feliciano (1970)
• Dicen Que Soy (album) by La India (1994)
• Rinconcito en el Cielo (song) by Ramon Ayala (1985)
• Lean Back (song) by Terror Squad, Fat Joe, and Remy Ma (2004)
• Rage Against the Machine (album) by Rage Against the Machine (1992)
• I Need to Know (song) by Marc Anthony (1999)
• Hoy Ya Me Voy (song) by Kany García (2007)
• In the Heights (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (album) (2008)
• El Costo de la Vida (song) by Juan Luis Guerra (1992)
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a congressional member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.
