Merengue singer Elvis Crespo and former Secretary of Education (2021-2025) Miguel Cardona, both of Puerto Rican origin, will receive the Medal of Excellence, the highest award of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) for Hispanic Heritage Month.
The CHCI announced the honorees in a press release Thursday, who will receive the award at the 48th Annual Gala on September 18 in Washington D.C., where Crespo, who received the award for being a “Puerto Rican icon of Latin music” who has “transcended generations and borders,” will be presented as the main artist.
“I thank God for giving me the gift of entertaining and expressing myself through music, uniting audiences and communities around the world. I am thrilled to celebrate this special gala with CHCI, my fellow honoree and the leaders who continue to support our Latino community,” stated Crespo.
The institute highlighted Crespo’s “electrifying fusion of merengue and tropical rhythms,” in addition to his worldwide hit ‘Suavemente’, which “became a cultural phenomenon” and made him the first tropical rhythm artist to sell more than 4 million physical albums worldwide.
He also called him a “pioneer” for fusing merengue with electronic music by collaborating on hits such as ‘Azukita’ with Steve Aoki, Daddy Yankee and Play-N-Skillz, and ‘Bailar’, with Deorro.
Although the 54-year-old New York-born Puerto Rican-born singer, 54, is best known for releasing the hit ‘Suavemente’ in 1998, CHCI also noted his most recent album, ‘Poeta Herido’, and his achievement this year of his first sold-out concert at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, where he kicked off his ‘Bodega Tour 2025: El Barrio Canta’.
On the other hand, the institute recognized “the shining example of leadership” of Miguel Cardona, former Secretary of Education during Joe Biden’s presidency (2021-2025), for “being committed to ensuring that all children receive the support they need to reach their full academic potential.”
“Miguel Cardona’s leadership has transformed education in the U.S., and Elvis Crespo’s legacy celebrates Latino culture, creativity and art,” commented CHCI Chairman, Democratic Representative Darren Soto.
National Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated in the United States from September 15 to October 15 since 1988 to coincide with the independence celebrations of countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Chile.
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