Vicente Fernández’s “El Rey,” Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original cast recording of Broadway’s “Hamilton” will be preserved for posterity, the Library of Congress announced Wednesday.
The three Latin music recordings are among the 25 “audio treasures” inducted into the National Recording Registry based on their “importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.” Established in 2000, the registry is a collection of 650 audio recordings preserved by the Library of Congress that are deemed to be “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Among these year’s picks are Celine Dion’s 1997 single “My Heart Will Go On,” Mary J. Blige’s “My Life” and Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black”.
Fernández, the renowned mariachi singer who died in 2021 at age 81, released the cover of “El Rey” in 1973. Originally written by José Alfredo Jiménez, the song is about a man who calls himself a king despite his poor socioeconomic status.
Fender’s version of “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” a country and pop song written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters, achieved success due to its crossover appeal — the first half of the song is in English, then repeats itself in Spanish. It won the Tejano singer the Country Music Association’s award for single of the year in 1975, the year of its release to country radio.
In 2006, Fender, who had been fighting lung cancer, passed away at his longtime home in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was 69.
“It’s a full circle moment because this year is the 50th anniversary of the song that made him a Billboard chart-topping hit,” said Veronique Medrano, the official archivist of Fender’s legacy. “To have the song that started it all be inducted into the Library of Congress is historic. It’s adding to how vital it was for the Mexican sonics [to be] represented by a Mexican American in the country music space.”
Miranda’s 2015 Broadway musical “Hamilton” chronicles the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton and his involvement in the American Revolution. The musical’s score stood out for its non-white cast and incorporating hip-hop, R&B and soul elements to the soundscape. It received several accolades, winning a total of 11 Tonys, including best musical at the 70th Tony Awards, and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for drama.
“The release of Hamilton ten years ago changed Broadway forever, shattered sales records, and uplifted the profound role of immigrants in the building of our great nation,” said San Antonio Congressman Joaquin Castro in his Wednesday morning announcement.
Castro submitted these tracks to the Library of Congress and is a longtime advocate for Latino representation in media and entertainment.
“El Rey,” “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and “Hamilton” now join the likes of Juan Gabriel’s “Amor Eterno,” Héctor Lavoe’s “El Cantante,” Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina,” Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” as Latin songs included in the National Recording Registry.
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