REP. ESPAILLAT, CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS NOMINATE 33 LATINO SONGS FOR INCLUSION IN NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY

WASHINGTON, DC -- This week, CHC Vice Chair Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Raul Ruiz (CA-36) led the CHC in nominating 33 works by Latino artists for inclusion in the Library of Congress’s 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 artists.

The works nominated by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus were drawn from hundreds of public suggestions submitted through social media. The list was crafted to highlight artists 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 artists, and artists from across the Latino diaspora.

The full CHC list of nominations to the National Recording Registry is as follows:

· Wasted Days and Wasted Nights (canción) por Freddy Fender (1974)
· Flashdance… What a Feeling (canción) por Irene Cara (1983)
· Corridos Prohibidos (álbum) por Los Tigres Del Norte (2009)
· Amor Eterno (canción) por Juan Gabriel (1990)
· Hips Don’t Lie (canción) por Shakira (2005)
· El Rey (canción) por Vicente Fernandez (1972)
· Romance (álbum) por Luis Miguel (1991)
· The Power of the Moon (álbum) por Lumbre Del Sol (1999)
· The Candy Man (canción) por Sammy Davis Jr. (1972)
· Paloma Negra (canción) por Chavela Vargas (1961)
· El Cantante (canción) por Héctor Lavoe (1978)
· Luna Llena (canción) por Elida Reyna y Avante (1994)
· ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? (álbum) por Maná (1992)
· Suavemente (canción) por Elvis Crespo (1999)
· Genie in a Bottle (canción) por Christina Aguilera (1999)
· I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) (canción) por Pitbull (2009)
· Lost in Emotion (canción) por Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (Lisa Velez) (1987)
· Fuiste Tú (canción) por Ricardo Arjona featuring Gaby Moreno (2011)
· Black Sunday (álbum) por Cypress Hill (1993)
· J. Lo (álbum) por Jennifer Lopez (2001)
· Gasolina (canción) por Daddy Yankee (2004)
· Sure Thing (canción) por Miguel (2010)
· (Hey Baby) Que Paso (canción) por Texas Tornadoes (1990)
· It Must Be Him (canción) by Vikki Carr (1967)
· Feliz Navidad (song) por José Feliciano (1970)
· Dicen Que Soy (álbum) por La India (1994)
· Rinconcito en el Cielo (canción) por Ramón Ayala (1985)
· Lean Back (canción) por Terror Squad, Fat Joe, y Remy Ma (2004)
· Rage Against the Machine (álbum) por Rage Against the Machine (1992)
· I Need to Know (canción) por Marc Anthony (1999)
· Hoy Ya Me Voy (canción) por Kany García (2007)
· In the Heights (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (album) (2008)
· El Costo de la Vida (canción) por Juan Luis Guerra (1992)

# # #