September 24, 2024

With Tracks from Selena, Freddy Fender, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Others, Congressman Castro Nominates 30 Latino Recordings for Preservation in the Library of Congress

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released his annual nomination list of songs, sounds, and albums by Latino voices that should be preserved in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.

Established by the U.S. Congress in 2000, the National Recording Registry is designed to preserve sounds and recordings with cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance to life in the United States. As of 2024, the National Recording Registry includes 650 recordings, with 25 additional recordings added each year. Less than five percent of current recordings can be attributed to Latinos or Hispanics, who make up nearly 20 percent of the population of the United States.

Since Congressman Castro began submitting nomination lists in 2022, the National Recording Preservation Board has inducted recordings by four of his nominated artists – Juan Gabriel’s “Amor Eterno” (1990), Héctor Lavoe’s “El Cantante” (1978), Irene Cara’s “Flashdance…What A Feeling” (1983), and Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” (2004). “Gasolina” made history in 2023 as the first Reggaeton song to be preserved in the National Recording Registry.

To ensure that his nomination list reflects a wide range of music, genres, and generations, Congressman Castro solicited public feedback and received hundreds of suggestions from across the United States and the world. For the first time, Congressman Castro’s 2024 nomination list includes a radio recording to honor the first full-time Spanish language radio broadcast in the United States, which aired on KCOR / KWEX in San Antonio, Texas in 1946. The Library of Congress will continue to collect public nominations for 2025 online through October 1, 2024.

“The National Recording Registry’s existence speaks to the importance of music and audio in American culture and society. Latino music and its influence can be found across languages, geographical boundaries, and genres. Further, Spanish-language broadcasts demonstrate the diversity of culture in the United States…. The list below was selected with feedback from the public and each played a significant creative and cultural impact worthy of selection. I hope you will carefully consider each recording listed,” Castro wrote in his nomination letter.

See the full letter here.

Congressman Castro’s Full List of Nominations to the National Recording Registry
  1. First Full Time Spanish-Language Radio Station Broadcast in the United States based in San Antonio, TX (formerly KCOR-TV and later known as KWEX-TC) (1946) (Broadcast)
  2. The Hamilton Mixtape – Lin-Manuel Miranda (2009) (Song)
  3. Amor Prohibido – Selena (1992) (Album)
  4. Before the Next Teardrop Falls – Freddy Fender (1974) (Song)
  5. Diamonds and Rust – Joan Baez (1975) (Album)
  6. Suavemente – Elvis Crespo (1999) (Song)
  7. Caminos Chuecos – Sunny and The Sunglows (1963) (Song)
  8. Volver, Volver – Vicente Fernández (1972) (Song)
  9. Cien Años – Pedro Infante (1953) (Song)
  10. Desvelado – Bobby Pulido (1995) (Album)
  11. Don Luis El Tejano – Latin Breed (1991) (Song)
  12. Las Nubes – Little Joe y La Familia (1972) (Song)
  13. Feliz Navidad – José Feliciano (1970) (Song)
  14. La Chona – Los Tucanes De Tijuana (1995) (Song)
  15. Cosas del Amor – Vikki Carr (1998) (Song)
  16. Maria Maria – Santana ft. The Product G&B (1999) (Song)
  17. Tu Pum Pum – El General (1989) (Song)
  18. Chilanga Banda – Café Tacvba (1996) (Song)
  19. Mambo No. 5 – Perez Prado (1952) (Song)
  20. Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira (2005) (Song)
  21. Rinconcito En El Cielo – Ramón Ayala (2001) (Song)
  22. Genie in a Bottle – Christina Aguilera (1999) (Song)
  23. Regalo del Alma – Celia Cruz (2003) (Album)
  24. Introducing Johnny Rodriguez – Johnny Rodriguez (1971) (Album)
  25. Blue Bayou– Linda Ronstadt (1977) (Song)
  26. Romance – Luis Miguel (1991) (Album)
  27. Simplemente Amigos – Ana Gabriel (1988) (Song)
  28. Conga – Gloria Estefan, Miami Sound Machine (1992) (Song)
  29. The Last – Aventura (2009) (Album)
  30. Cypress Hill – Cypress Hill (1991) (Album)