Hispanics Vicente Fernandez, Freddy Fender and Lin-Manuel Miranda enter the National Recording Registry

Three iconic sounds with a distinct Hispanic influence have been immortalized in the National Recording Registry. "El Rey" by Vicente Fernández, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" by Freddy Fender, and the original recording of Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda are among the 25 songs selected for preservation in the Library of Congress archives.

"This year’s National Recording Registry list is an honor roll of superb American popular music from the wide-ranging repertoire of our great nation," stated Robbin Ahrold, chairman of the National Recording Preservation Council. The select group includes the trio of "Latin superstars.”

As part of the ranchera genre, Fernández's “El Rey” (1973) is an iconic rendition of a classic originally written by Mexico's José Alfredo Jiménez. The song is described as a reflection of personal pride and honor, representing the legacy of Fernández, a two-time Grammy winner and eight-time Latin Grammy recipient.

“Before the Next Teardrop Falls” (1975) was the track that elevated Freddy Fender to stardom, taking him from music as a part-time profession to the top of the charts. The library highlights the "expressive and plaintive tenor" of the singer born Baldemar Huerta in San Benito, Texas. Sung in both Spanish and English, the country ballad beautifully captures themes of resignation and hope in love.

The Mexican-American Fender was joined by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who comes from a Puerto Rican family. Speaking in Spanish, the composer and playwright shared that the international success of the musical Hamilton, which dramatizes the story of Alexander Hamilton, “was very impactful because, for me, it represents the immigration story of our nation, even before it became the USA.”

The award-winning Hamilton was finally added to the library ten years after its Broadway debut. The most recorded that year, with the original cast, was, fittingly, the version included in the record. The season earned him a dozen Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and an award for Best Musical Theatre Album.

A record with a lot of Hispanic rhythm

Salsa, mariachi, reggaeton, and dozens of other Latin rhythms are featured in the complete list of 675 recordings. This collection spans over a century, from the first recording of a mariachi group in Mexico City more than 100 years ago to iconic artists like Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, and Johnny Pacheco.

Last year, Mexico's Juan Gabriel, with “Amor eterno,” and Puerto Rico's Hector Lavoe, with “El cantante,” were also added to the list. Additionally, Daddy Yankee's “Gasolina” became his first reggaeton song to be included.