Shutterstock / Lisa T Snow
The late Tejano queen Selena's "Como la Flor" is one of the songs nominated for preservation in the National Recording Registry.
Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, last month asked the public to submit suggestions of recordings by Latinx artists to nominate for inclusion in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. That call resulted in 700 submissions, which were whittled down to 35, according to his office.
In addition Selena's "Como la Flor" and the Texas Tornados' “(Hey Baby) Que Paso,” Castro's nominations with San Antonio or South Texas ties include Freddy Fender's “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” Sunny and the Sunliners' “Talk to Me," Vikki Carr's “It Must Be Him" and Little Joe y La Familia's “Las Nubes."
Castro and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have been working to increase the number of Latinx artists represented in the National Recording Registry. As of 2023, fewer than 5% of the archive's 600 titles were recorded by Latinx musicians, according to the congressman.
“The National Recording Registry’s very existence speaks to the important role that music plays in American culture and society," Castro wrote in his nomination letter. "The scarceness of Latino artists in our country’s recording legacy has wide-reaching implications on how Latinos are perceived in American society. Latino music and its influence can be found across languages, geographical boundaries, and genres. Latino artists, through their musical contributions, have marked all aspects of American life and are worth celebrating and preserving."
Last year, Castro and the caucus submitted 33 nominations to the registry. In early 2023, the Library of Congress inducted two of those nominations — Irene Cara’s “Flashdance…What A Feeling” (1983) and Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” (2004) — along with Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” (1994) and the first recordings of mariachi music.
Here's the complete list of Castro's 2023 nominations:
- Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez (album) (1975)
- “Como la Flor” by Selena (song) (1992)
- How Will the Wolf Survive? by Los Lobos (album) (1984)
- “Juancito Trucupey” by Celia Cruz (song) (1956)
- “Las Nubes” by Little Joe y La Familia (song) (1972)
- “Rinconcito en el Cielo” by Ramón Ayala (song) (1985)
- “El Rey” by Vicente Fernández (song) (1991)
- “Oye Mi Amor” by Maná (song) (1992)
- “Amor Eterno” by Juan Gabriel (song) (1984)
- “Ahora Te Puedes Marchar” by Luis Miguel (song) (1987)
- “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” by Freddy Fender (song) (1974)
- “Whenever, Wherever” by Shakira (song) (2001)
- “(Hey Baby) Que Paso” by Texas Tornados (song) (1990)
- “Oye Cómo Va” by Tito Puente (song) (1962)
- “Talk to Me” by Sunny and the Sunliners (song) (2012)
- “She’s All I Ever Had” by Ricky Martin (song) (1999)
- “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera (song) (1999)
- “Conga” by Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine (song) (1985)
- “Waiting for Tonight” by Jennifer Lopez (song) (1999)
- “Oye Mi Canto” by N.O.R.E. ft. Tego Calderón, Nina Sky, Gemstar & Big Mato (song) (2006)
- “Come and Get It” by Selena Gomez (song) (2013)
- “Rica y Apretadita” by El General featuring Anayka (song) (1995)
- “Yo Voy” by Zion and Lennox featuring Daddy Yankee (song) (2004)
- Eco de Sombras by Susana Baca (album) (1989)
- “Propuesta Indecente” by Romeo Santos (song) (2013)
- “Juana La Cubana” by Fito Olivares (song) (1996)
- “Mi Gente” by Héctor Lavoe (song) (1975)
- “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano (song) (1970)
- “Eres” by Café Tacvba (song) (2003)
- “El Coco Rayado” by Ruben Vela (song) (1994)
- El Abayarde by Tego Calderón (album) (2002)
- “The Glamorous Life” by Sheila E. (song) (1984)
- “Basta Ya” by Jenni Rivera (song) (2011)
- “Lost in Emotion” by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (song) (1987)
- “It Must Be Him” by Vikki Carr (song) (1967)
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