Celia Cruz and Ray Barretto. Ritmo en el Corazón (1988, Fania Records JM 651). Recorded Sound Reference Center, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division.
Courtesy of Fania Records.
When authors apply for copyright of their creative efforts by filing an application, paying a fee, and supplying the Library
with two copies of the specified work, these materials enrich the Library's collections in many areas, including books, maps,
films, recorded sound, television broadcasting, and sheet music.
The copyright deposit records are interesting in themselves and researchers need only go to room 459 of the Madison Building
to consult them firsthand. From 1978, all copyrights have been recorded online, but for earlier submissions, the researcher
needs to search a specific author in the card files that are arranged by years, specifically:
1898-1937
1938-45
1946-54
1955-70
1971-77
Although historically copyrights have been held mostly by large companies, the catalog cards are still full of useful information.
It takes just a few moments to locate Vikki Carr's first recording in Spanish in 1972 or to see that Linda Ronstadt started
writing songs in Spanish as early as July 1976, with “Lo siento mi vida” (I'm sorry my love/darling). Copyright also applies
to performances. The Cuban American salsa goddess Celia Cruz (1924-2003) has thirty recordings listed online and the co-creator
of the Miami Sound Machine, Gloria Estefan (b. 1957), has well over one hundred, in addition to the songs she has written.
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