Hits by two late Latin music icons whose ballads and salsa songs are constants in playlists across generations have been inducted into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.
Juan Gabriel’s “Amor Eterno” (“Eternal Love”) and Héctor Lavoe’s “El Cantante” (“The Singer”) are among the 25 recordings and albums selected Tuesday for preservation at the nation’s audio history library.
Released in 1990, Gabriel wrote the heart-rending ballad “Amor Eterno” in memory of his deceased mother. The song has since become a staple for many Latino families, touching the hearts of one and all — young, old, working class, upper class, urban and rural.
Regarded as “El Divo de Juárez,” Gabriel began his career in Mexico in the 1970s and rose to stardom in the 1990s. He died in 2016 at age 66.
The iconic Mexican singing-songwriting superstar is known for his fierce and forceful delivery, making audiences want to sing every one of his songs from the top of their lungs, as well as his sweet voice effectively pulling at everyone’s heartstrings.
For many in LGBTQ communities, Gabriel’s flashy onstage personality and exuberant sense of style helped break down social norms, strict gender roles and machismo.
Iván Gabriel Aguilera, the singer’s son, said his father always wanted future generations to relate to his music.
“He would always say that ‘as long as the public, the people, keep singing my music, Juan Gabriel will never die,'” Aguilera said in Spanish. “It’s nice to see that is happening here.”
“He’s going to be immortalized there in the Library of Congress,” Aguilera added.
As Gabriel was jumpstarting his career in Mexico in the 1970s, Lavoe had established himself as one of the greatest salsa music performers in New York City, later becoming known by salsa lovers everywhere as one of the genre’s greats.
Released in 1978, “El Cantante” not only became Lavoe’s signature song: It also became emblematic of the new era of salsa music being ushered in by Fania Records.
Written and produced by fellow Fania Records alums and salsa icons Rubén Blades and Willie Colón, “El Cantante” narrates the livelihood, struggles and adversities singers face. It also describes how they must interact positively with the audience when oftentimes they are their only supporters.
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