October 04, 2023

Congressman Castro Selects “El Rey,” “Como la Flor,” “Rinconcito en el Cielo,” and “Propuesta Indecente,” Among 35 Nominations to the National Recording Registry

WASHINGTON – This week, as part of his longstanding work with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to improve Latino representation and visibility across American media, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) nominated 35 songs and albums by Latino musicians to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. The nominations were selected from nearly 700 submissions submitted by members of the public through social media and other channels.

The National Recording Registry is the nation’s preeminent archive of recorded sound. On an annual basis, after reviewing titles nominated by the public and conferring with Library curators and members of the National Recording Preservation Board, the Librarian of Congress selects 25 recordings to add to the registry and preserve in the Library of Congress. As of 2023, less than five percent of the 600 titles on the registry were recorded by Latino musicians.

“The National Recording Registry’s very existence speaks to the important role that music plays in American culture and society. The scarceness of Latino artists in our country’s recording legacy has wide-reaching implications on how Latinos are perceived in American society. Latino music and its influence can be found across languages, geographical boundaries, and genres. Latino artists, through their musical contributions, have marked all aspects of American life and are worth celebrating and preserving,” Congressman Castro wrote in his nomination letter.

Last year, Congressman Castro and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus submitted 33 nominations to the National Recording Registry. In early 2023, the Library of Congress inducted two of their nominations – Irene Cara’s “Flashdance…What A Feeling” (1983) and Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” (2004) into the registry – along with Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” (1994) and the first recordings of mariachi music. For more about the 2022 nominations, click here.

In addition to his work with the National Recording Registry, Congressman Castro also leads a running effort to increase the number of Latino films in the National Film Registry. In August 2023, he nominated 27 Latino-driven films for inclusion in the registry, which preserves films with “cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance to life in the United States.” For more information about his work with the National Film Registry, click here.

Congressman Castro’s list of 2023 nominations to the National Recording Registry is below:

  1. “Diamonds and Rust” by Joan Baez (album) (1975)
  2. “Como la Flor” by Selena (song) (1992)
  3. “How Will the Wolf Survive?” by Los Lobos (album) (1984)
  4. “Juancito Trucupey” by Celia Cruz (song) (1956)
  5. “Las Nubes” by Little Joe y La Familia (song) (1972)
  6. “Rinconcito en el Cielo” by Ramón Ayala (song) (1985)
  7. “El Rey” by Vicente Fernández (song) (1991)
  8. “Oye Mi Amor” by Maná (song) (1992)
  9. “Amor Eterno” by Juan Gabriel (song) (1984)
  10. “Ahora Te Puedes Marchar” by Luis Miguel (song) (1987)
  11. “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” by Freddy Fender (song) (1974)
  12. “Whenever, Wherever” by Shakira (song) (2001)
  13. “(Hey Baby) Que Paso” by Texas Tornados (song) (1990)
  14. “Oye Cómo Va” by Tito Puente (song) (1962)
  15. “Talk to Me” by Sunny and the Sunliners (song) (2012)
  16. “She’s All I Ever Had” by Ricky Martin (song) (1999)
  17. “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera (song) (1999)
  18. “Conga” by Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine (song) (1985)
  19. “Waiting for Tonight” by Jennifer Lopez (song) (1999)
  20. “Oye Mi Canto” by N.O.R.E. ft. Tego Calderón, Nina Sky, Gemstar & Big Mato (song) (2006)
  21. “Come and Get It” by Selena Gomez (song) (2013)
  22. “Rica y Apretadita” by El General ft. Anayka (song) (1995)
  23. “Yo Voy” by Zion and Lennox ft. Daddy Yankee (song) (2004)
  24. “Eco de Sombras” by Susana Baca (album) (1989)
  25. “Propuesta Indecente” by Romeo Santos (song) (2013)
  26. “Juana La Cubana” by Fito Olivares (song) (1996)
  27. “Mi Gente” by Héctor Lavoe (song) (1975)
  28. “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano (song) (1970)
  29. “Eres” by Café Tacvba (song) (2003)
  30. “El Coco Rayado” by Ruben Vela (song) (1994)
  31. “El Abayarde” by Tego Calderón (album) (2002)
  32. “The Glamorous Life” by Sheila E. (song) (1984)
  33. “Basta Ya” by Jenni Rivera (song) (2011)
  34. “Lost in Emotion” by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (song) (1987)
  35. “It Must Be Him” by Vikki Carr (song) (1967)

To view the full nomination letter, click here.