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“Livin’ La Vida Loca”, a hit by Puerto Rican star Ricky Martin, is declared a treasure

WASHINGTON DC– The United States Library of Congress has incorporated into its National Recording Registry -as a treasure worthy of conservation- the song “Livin’ the Crazy Life” played and made famous by the Puerto Rican artist Ricky Martin.

“Livin’ la Vida Loca” – from 1999 and written by Desmond Child and the Puerto Rican pink drake-, is one of 25 recordings that are part of the class of 2022 that are part of the main recording heritage of the US Library of Congress.

File photo of Desmond Child and Ricky Martin working in Miami Beach on the conceptualization of “Livin’ La Vida Loca”. Photo: Jill Kahn (Supplied)

The group of exalted recordings include the albums “Songs in A minor”, ​​which marked the 2001 debut of Alicia Keys, “Good View Social Club”from 1997, by the Cuban group of the same name and “Canciones de mi padre”, by Linda Ronstadt (1987).

songs are also included Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975) and “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey (1981), of rap, hip hop and R&B.

The group of recordings brings together, in turn, events such as the transmissions of the public radio station WNYC on the day of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the presidential messages of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945) and the home run number 715 of the Afro-American baseball player Hank Aaron, who in 1974 established a new record.

The Library of Congress received nearly 1,000 nominations for this year.

“The National Recording Registry reflects the diversity of music and voices that have shaped our nation’s history and culture through recorded sound,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, noting that now the number of titles in the register they add up to 600, out of four million sounds that the institution has in its collection.

For Desmond Child, the exaltation of “Livin’ la Vida Loca” to the National Recording Registry of the United States, which he also co-produced, “is one of the great honors of world culture”.

Draco Rosa and Desmond Child during the recording of the famous theme.  Photo: Curtis Shaw Child
Draco Rosa and Desmond Child during the recording of the famous theme. Photo: Curtis Shaw Child (Supplied)

Child, of Cuban origin, indicated that the song was an assignment from Ricky Martin’s then-promoter, Angelo Medinaafter the success of the song “La Copa de la Vida”, which he wrote with Draco Rosa and Ian Blake, and which was the official anthem of the 1998 World Cup.

“It took us like three days to write the song. They wanted to do something in ‘Spanglish’. It had to be in English, but make it sound like it was in Spanish. In the end, it had three words in Spanish,” said Child, indicating that it incorporates elements of urban music, rock (in the chorus), and the ‘rat pack’ that had Frank Sinatra among its protagonists.

In a telephone interview with The new dayChild argued that “the music is as if it were the score of a movie”, because “everything the song says is reinforced by sound effects, so that it is very visual”.

Everything, moreover, taking into account, he said, that Ricky Martin is the “Latin Elvis (Presley) of his time, and a Latin James Bond.”

“It was the first fully digitally mixed song to hit #1 on Billboard,” Child explained.

File photo of Ricky Martin dancing on top of a car as part of his performance at the premiere of his world tour "Livin' La Vida Loca Tour" on October 20, 1999 at the Miami Arena, in Miami.  (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
File photo of Ricky Martin dancing on top of a car as part of his performance at the premiere of his world tour “Livin’ La Vida Loca Tour” on October 20, 1999 at the Miami Arena, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (WILFRED LEE)

Ricky Martin reacts

In written statements to The New Day, Ricky Martin reacted to the news of the important recognition of the song that undoubtedly catapulted his career worldwide.

“No matter how many years go by, everyone’s reaction to ‘Livin’ la Vida Loca’ remains the same as it was 23 years ago when we released it. It is a very powerful song that represents the fusion of Latin pop. It is an honor to be part of this song that has a very important page in the history of music, since it was part of the first album recorded entirely digitally and my first production completely in English. It is certainly a subject for history and I am very honored that it is recognized.”

Alicia Keys, meanwhile, claimed that some of the songs on the “Songs in A minor” album – such as “Troubles”, “Rock wit U”, “A Woman’s Worth” and “Fallin” – were written in her teens.

Initially, a record company rejected the production, which the singer-songwriter describes as “a fusion of my classical training”, which is mixed with the jazz, R&B and hip hop music that she listened to at home or in her neighborhood.

“I am so honored and grateful that ‘Songs in A Minor,’ the entire album, will come to be recognized as such a powerful body of work that it will be timeless,” Keys said, according to a statement circulated by the Library of Congress.

Meanwhile, Linda Ronstadt affirmed that the album “Canciones de mi padre” – recorded with four mariachis – was a tribute to her Mexican heritage.

“I always thought they were world-class songs. And I thought they were songs where music could transcend the language barrier,” Ronstadt said of a production that won a Grammy, double platinum record and became the best-selling recording in a language other than English. the history of the United States.

The 25 recordings exalted to the National Registry of the United States Library of Congress are:

1. “Harlem Strut” — James P. Johnson (1921)

2. All presidential messages of Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)

3. “Walking the Floor Over You” — Ernest Tubb (1941) (song)

4. The radio broadcast “On a Note of Triumph” (May 8, 1945)

5. “Jesus Gave Me Water” — The Soul Stirrers (1950) (song)

6. “Ellington at Newport” — Duke Ellington (1956) (album)

7. “We insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite” — Max Roach (1960) (album)

8. “The Christmas Song” — Nat King Cole (1961) (song)

9. “Tonight’s the Night” — The Shirelles (1961) (album)

10. “Moon River” — Andy Williams (1962) (single)

11. “In C” — Terry Riley (1968) (album)

12. “It’s a Small World” — The Disneyland Boys Choir (1964) (song)

13. “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” — The Four Tops (1966) (song)

14. Hank Aaron’s 715th Career Home Run (April 8, 1974)

15. “Bohemian Rhapsody” — Queen (1975) (song)

16. “Don’t Stop Believin’” — Journey (1981) (song)

17. “Songs from My Father” — Linda Ronstadt (1987) (album)

18. “Nick of Time” — Bonnie Raitt (1989) (album)

19. “The Low End Theory” — A Tribe Called Quest (1991) (album)

20. “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” — Wu-Tang Clan (1993) (album)

21. “Buena Vista Social Club” (1997) (album)

22. “Livin’ La Vida Loca” — Ricky Martin (1999) (song)

23. “Songs in A Minor” — Alicia Keys (2001) (album)

24. The WNYC broadcast on the day of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

25. “WTF with Marc Maron” (Guest: Robin Williams) (April 26, 2010)

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