SAN ANTONIO – Music by Selena, Freddy Fender, Vicente Fernández, Gloria Estefan, Linda Ronstadt, and others are on the list of songs, sounds, and albums by Latino voices that have been nominated by a San Antonio lawmaker for preservation in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.
US Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio on Tuesday released his annual nomination list that reflects a wide range of music, genres, and generations. Castro received hundreds of suggestions from across the US and the world after soliciting public feedback.
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In addition to the impressive list of Latino voices, Castro’s nomination list includes a radio recording to honor the first full-time Spanish-language radio broadcast in the US, which aired on KCOR / KWEX in San Antonio in 1946.
Below is Castro’s nomination list for 2024:
1. First Full-Time Spanish-Language Radio Station Broadcast in the United States based in San Antonio, (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)
Since 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.
Established by Congress in 2000, the registry is designed to preserve sounds and recordings with cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance to life in the US.
As of 2024, the registry includes 650 recordings, with 25 additional recordings added each year. Less than 5% of current recordings can be attributed to Latinos or Hispanics.
The Library of Congress will continue to collect public nominations for 2025 online through Oct. 1.