Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) are pushing the Library of Congress to increase the number of songs written and sung by Latinos in its national registry.
Each year, the National Recording Preservation Board selects 25 recordings to add to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus noted that the registry currently contains about 600 works, only 23 of which — 3.8% — were recorded by Latino musicians. CHC Chair Raul Ruiz, CHC Vice Chair Adriano Espaillat, and Rep. Joaquin Castro, signed in a letter and suggested 33 songs and albums for consideration.
Every year since 2002 the Librarian of Congress, with help from the National Recording Preservation Board, picks 25 titles that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and are at least 10 years old, according to the Library.
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“The National Recording Registry’s very existence speaks to the importance of music and broadcast in American culture and society,” Hispanic Caucus members wrote. “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. As an art, the diversity of the Latino sound can be heard in every measure and resonates with every beat.”
Songs from Elida Reyna Y Avante (“Luna Llena”), Freddy Fender (“Wasted Days And Wasted Night”), Texas Tornados (“Hey Baby, Que Paso”), and Ramon Ayala (“Rinconcito en el Cielo”) are among the suggestions listed in the letter.
The members noted that the songs were “selected with feedback from the public,” and “reflect the diversity of Latino identities, histories, and geographies.”
Axios reports The National Recording Preservation Board will meet next week to discuss the submissions, and the 2023 registry will be announced in late March or April.
The registry includes recordings by Selena, Flaco Jimenez, Santana, Richie Valens, Tito Puente, Lydia Mendoza, Carmen Miranda, Fania All-Stars, and others.
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