To celebrate the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, is asking the public to let him know which songs by Latinx recording artists are most worthy of preservation.
Castro is leading the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in collecting nominations of works by Latinx performers to add to the National Recording Registry. That federal archive maintains and preserves sound recordings with cultural, historic or aesthetic significance to the nation.
Latinx people make up nearly 20% of the U.S. population but represent just 5% of the National Recording Registry’s collection, Castro said in a statement. His push to expand the archive comes after he led a similar effort earlier this year to nominate Latino films to the National Film Registry.
“From the infectious rhythm of salsa music to the strums of Carlos Santana’s guitar, some of the greatest works in recording history have been created by Latino artists,” said Castro, who added that the music of Latinx singers Freddy Fender and Joan Baez were part of his youth. “Latinos have left our mark on all aspects of American culture in genres across the musical spectrum — from pop and country to rock and hip-hop.”
People can nominate both songs and full albums to the registry through an online form. To qualify, nominated recordings must be at least 10 years old. The deadline for submissions is Monday, Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
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This article appears in Sep 6-19, 2023.
