Spain’s Enrique Bunbury, Colombia’s Andrés Castro and Mexico’s Mónica Vélez were inducted Thursday into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame (LSHOF), which also awarded Puerto Rico’s Lenny Távarez, Mexico’s Ángela Aguilar and the Mexican song ‘El Rey’ by José Alfredo Jiménez.
The Hall of Fame in Miami recognized “the legendary creators behind the most influential songs in the history of Latin music” at a ceremony in which the creators celebrated the rise of Hispanic artists in the United States and the world.
“I, obviously, could not dream of this kind of recognition, nor do I consider myself the right person to receive it. I think there are so many artists who moved me, were the ones who led me to write songs, who are not included and who deserve it more than me,” Bunbury told EFE.
Mexican artists featured prominently in the ceremony, with Velez’s induction, the MUSA Elena Casals Award to Angela Aguilar and the recognition of ‘El Rey’ as ‘The Song of All Time’.
“This song has been an anthem for the entire Spanish-speaking world and there have even been translations into Portuguese, English and other languages of this emblematic song,” José Alfredo Jiménez Medel, son of the legendary and late author of ‘El Rey’, told EFE.
Hall of Fame and Latin music at its peak
The LHSOF was also joined by Cuban Jorge Luis Piloto and, posthumously, by the late Argentine pianist, composer and orchestra conductor Lalo Schifrin.
Andrés Castro, author of Carlos Vives’ hits such as ‘El amor de mi tierra’, ‘El rock de mi pueblo’ and ‘La bicicleta’, as well as Prince Royce’s ‘Darte un beso’, considered that “it is a great moment” for Latin music” in the United States, after pioneers such as Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Armando Manzanero and María Amparo Casar.
“That makes our music worldwide, which is what is happening in many aspects, not only a genre, which was the one that started, but there is a very wide range of genres that connect with the world, it is the work of many people who opened the doors,” the Colombian composer told EFE.
Mexican Velez, who has written songs for Yuridia, Camila, Gloria Trevi, Paulina Rubio, Reik, OV7, Alicia Villarreal and Ha*Ash, agreed.
“I believe that much of the most beautiful music in the world is made in Mexico, and it has been and will continue to flourish,” said the composer.
Puerto Rican artist and songwriter Lenny Tavárez received the La MUSA Triunfador 2025 award at the 12th edition of these awards presented by the Hall of Fame, which recognized his “consistent achievements” as a songwriter, “including his chart-topping collaborations and his solo releases”.
The Puerto Rican, who told EFE that he is preparing a “sensual” album, claimed the artistic visibility that Puerto Rico, “the cradle of flavor”, has gained in recent months, particularly with the musical residency of Bad Bunny.
“Right now this year with everything that is happening with Bad Bunny’s residency, many things are being broken, many chains, new opportunities are being created, music is being seen from another point of view as well, new things are being done that had never been done before,” said Tavárez, reported Agencia EFE.
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