A local legend may very soon have one of his iconic musical works permanently reserved in history.
Last week, United States Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX) officially nominated Juan Gabriel’s "Amor Eterno" for inclusion in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. The registry preserves songs and other recordings that created a lasting impact on American life. Gabriel’s 1984 track was one of 35 nominations by Castro, selected from nearly 700 submissions from members of the public.
Gabriel passed away in Santa Monica at the age of 66, and his passing left a tremendous loss in the Latino arts community. The singer was posthumously inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016, adding to his inductions into groups such as the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame and the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
Castro’s push to immortalize "Amor Eterno" is part of a campaign to emphasize Latino representation and visibility across American culture and media. As of 2023, less than five percent of the 600 titles on the registry have been recorded by Latino musicians.
"The scarceness of Latino artists in our country’s recording legacy has wide-reaching implications on how Latinos are perceived in American society," Castro wrote in his nomination letter. "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."
Through the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Castro and his constituents submitted 33 nominations to the registry in 2022, having Irene Cara’s "Flashdance…What A Feeling" and Daddy Yankee’s "Gasolina" inducted.
