April 12, 2023

After Push by Congressman Castro and CHC, Library of Congress Adds New Latino Musicians to National Recording Registry

CHC-nominated “Flashdance…What A Feeling” (1983) and “Gasolina” (2004) recognized as recordings with cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance in the United States alongside Mariachi recordings and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (1994).

SAN ANTONIO – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after the Library of Congress announced that Irene Cara’s “Flashdance…What A Feeling” and Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” have been selected for induction into the National Recording Registry, the nation’s archive of recorded sound. Last fall, Rep. Castro and Reps. Raul Ruiz (CA-25) and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) led the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in nominating works by Latino musicians to the registry, including today’s inductees. The full list of inductees also includes Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and the first recordings of Mariachi music.

“For generations, music from Latino and Latina artists has been part of the soundtrack of American life. Today’s selection adds the voices of groundbreaking artists to our nation’s cultural archive and acknowledges their lasting impact on American culture,” said Congressman Castro. “Last fall, my office and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus got hundreds of suggestions from the public about songs from Latino artists that should be included on the registry. We were proud to nominate two of the songs included today, including “Gasolina,” the first reggaeton song on the registry. I hope that Americans will continue to nominate their favorite songs, and I look forward to the inclusion of more Latino artists in the years ahead.”

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 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. Prior to today’s announcement, just 3.8 percent of works on the registry were recorded by Latino musicians.

The nominations by Congressman Castro and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus drew from 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/a and LGBTQ+ Latino/a musicians, and musicians from across the Latino diaspora. To view the full list of nominations, click here.