Music

Shakira, Daddy Yankee & More Nominated to Enter the National Recording Registry

Lead Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Shakira attends the 2022 NBCUniversal Upfront at Mandarin Oriental Hotel at Radio City Music Hall on May 16, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Shakira attends the 2022 NBCUniversal Upfront at Mandarin Oriental Hotel at Radio City Music Hall on May 16, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Music from Shakira, Daddy Yankee, Vicente Fernández, and Jennifer Lopez could be added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry next year. Along with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) nominated these artists and other acts on Monday night (Nov. 27) to create more Latine visibility in the National Recording Registry.

Every year, the Librarian of Congress, with help from the National Recording Preservation Board, selects 25 albums, songs, and recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” to add to the National Recording Registry. About 24 titles in the historic collection are by Latine or Spanish acts. For a recording to be eligible for nomination, it has to be over 10 years old. 

“Latinos are nearly 20% of the US and widely bilingual — but of the 600 titles in the Recording Registry, less than 4% are from Latino artists,” Castro wrote on Twitter. Last week, the representative wrote to followers on Twitter to help him assemble a list of Latine artists who haven’t been nominated to the National Recording Registry. 

With the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that he’s a member of, the group revealed their picks of recordings they selected. Among the list of 33 recordings are Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie,” Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina,” Fernández’s “El Rey,” and Lopez’s J.Lo album. They also nominated classics like Elvis Crespo’s “Suavemente” and José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad.” Music by Christina Aguilera, Maná, and Los Tigres Del Norte was nominated as well. 

“I want for the contributions of our musicians to be recognized and celebrated in the way that they deserve because they have made a mark in America,” said Castro in an interview with Axios.

Castro also made the list of nominees available in a handy Spotify playlist. The National Recording Preservation Board will be meeting next week to discuss the submissions from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. In March or April, the 2023 inductees into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry will be revealed.