Julio Iglesias & Jose Feliciano to enter Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame

Julio Iglesias and Jose Feliciano are among the first six inductees in the new Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The Hall was developed by Desmond Child, who is the Chairman and CEO, and Rudy Perez, the President of the orginzation. They are based in Miami and will have their first induction ceremony on April 23 at the New World Center in Miami Beach.

Child has been a very successful songwriter, whose credits include Livin' La Vida Loca, Dude Looks Like a Lady, You Give Love a Bad Name, Livin' on a Prayer and I Was Made For Loving You. He said of the new Hall, "Our music springs from a very rich well — the Latin music songwriting tradition in this hemisphere alone goes back 400 years. Without the men and women who create the songs, there is no Latin music, there are no Latin Grammys. The songs are the building blocks of the industry and a cultural force that goes all over the world."

Perez added "Songwriters are the essence of music. They create the source. And no one in the Spanish-speaking world has given them their night of glory, their rightful place."

The process in selecting the organization's inductees started with a nominating committee picking 24 candidates from all genres of Spanish and Portuguese music. The full membership in the hall then voted to cut the list to five (or, in this year's case, six) inductees.

While Feliciano is best known for his cover of the Doors' Light My Fire, he is also a legendary songwriter whose hits include Cuando El Amor Se Acaba, Paso La Vida Pensando and the holiday classic Feliz Navidad.

Iglesias' hits that he has written include Gwendolyn, La Vida Sigue Igual, Hey and Abrazame.

Both will be inducted from the Performing Songwriter side along with Armando Manzanero (Esta Tarde Vi Lover, Somos Novios, No Se Tu).

Inductees from the Non-Performing side are Manuel Alejandro (Yo Soy Aquel, Mi Gran Noche, Amar y Querer), Jose Angel Espinoza "Ferrusquilla" (La Ley Del Monte, Echame A Mi La Culpa, El Tiempo Que Te Quede Libre) and Concha Valdez Miranda (La Mitad, El Que Mas Te Ha Querido, Como Es Posible).

Among those nominated but not making the cut were Joao Gilberto, Juan Gabriel and Lalo Shiffrin.

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