
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame needs to honor rock en español—starting with Soda Stereo
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame aims to recognize artists who've significantly contributed to the evolution, development, and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll.
However, it never mentions this recognition is limited to a specific language or country, so anyone in the world meeting their induction criteria is supposed to be eligible. But the reality is quite different, for decades they've only looked into the same horizon, mostly inducting white male musicians from the US and UK. It wasn't until recent years when diversity and inclusion movements started putting social pressure everywhere, that they adopted a sort of 'selective inclusion' and began nominating more female and African-American acts. Unfortunately, the rest of the world has remained ignored.
Three out of 1,039, that's the number of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame individual Hispanic inductees born in Latin America. The numbers remain low even if we add inductees of Ibero-American heritage born in the English-speaking world: one in England and eleven in the United States.
As of the 2024 class, the 15 inductees with confirmed Hispanic roots represent just 1.4% of the total members. Furthermore, it's disappointing that exclusively Spanish-speaking acts have never been considered. This statistic not only reflects a low representation of a region with a longstanding and powerful tradition of local rock artists and impressive international concerts packed with passionate fans, but it also presents an opportunity for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to embrace a more inclusive and diverse future - one that highlights how rock 'n' roll brings people from different countries, cultures, and languages together.
I've been running a fan campaign since 2020 to advocate for Argentina's Soda Stereo's induction into the RRHOF as their first Spanish-language band. Despite frequent comments our team effort sparks on social media, I don't believe the Hall is biased against Hispanic artists. It only seems their vision is limited to the local market and that they haven't been exposed to authentic rock en español to consider its inclusion. They still believe Ritchie Valens and Carlos Santana are the only Latin rock legends. Watching the docuseries 'Break It All' on Netflix, which covers the history of rock in Latin America, could start fixing that in less than six hours.
Their Nominating Committee consists of 30 experts, none of whom are Hispanic, this puts our campaign on a collision path against history, and the entire Rock en Español possibilities in the hands of people who may not possess the best expertise on real Hispanic music. This limitation of a constant pool of professionals on the Committee, year in and year out, also raises big concerns about diversity and fairness, some fans feel that their favorite bands, even those anglophone, are being blocked by eternal gatekeepers.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame executives explain controversial multi-genre nominations by referencing Motown Records' old motto, 'The Sound of Young America.' They say they want to bring back the original spirit of the 1950s. However, focusing only on what young people in the United States listen to could limit real inclusion and diminish their global appeal. This is also unfair to followers abroad because rock 'n' roll was born in the US but belongs to the entire planet.
When John Sykes took over the RRHOF foundation he promised more diversity to prevent the institution from becoming irrelevant. I started the Soda Stereo Rock Hall campaign hoping his pledge would finally recognize a Latin American band. According to a June 2024 census.gov press release, Hispanics now represent 19.5% of the US population, a considerable market, and with Spanish being the second-largest language by number of native speakers in the world, and by far the second-most spoken in the United States, it's time to do so. Experts agree that the first band should be Soda Stereo, followed by the other three of the 'sacred tetralogy' of Spanish-language rock: Heroes del Silencio (Spain), Los Prisioneros (Chile), and Caifanes (Mexico).
But it can't stop there, foundational icons of the movement should also be considered: El Tri and Javier Batiz (Mexico), Charly Garcia and Luis Alberto Spinetta (Argentina), Miguel Rios (Spain), and Los Saicos (Peru).
Moreover, full recognition won't be complete without honoring influential acts such as Cafe Tacuba, Mana, Maldita Vecindad, Molotov, Fobia, Botellita de Jerez, Ritmo Peligroso (Mexico); Enanitos Verdes, Miguel Mateos, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Fito Paez, Andres Calamaro, Los Redonditos de Ricota, Rata Blanca (Argentina); La Ley, Los Tres, Lucybell (Chile); La Union, Duncan Dhu, Radio Futura, Hombres G (Spain); Juanes, Aterciopelados (Colombia). And if Madonna and Depeche Mode are in, why not consider Shakira (Colombia), Mecano (Spain), and Aleks Syntek (Mexico)?
Cirque du Soleil paid tribute to Soda's legacy in 2017 and 2018, an honor reserved only for The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and Soda Stereo. Michel Laprise, director of the show, who spent months talking to fans worldwide to understand the band's legacy, expressed on a video recorded at their Montreal headquarters for our campaign, 'The quality of their rock music, the intensity of what they did is universal and ageless, still very actual. Then we realized they're not in the Rock Hall of Fame, it doesn't make sense, they should be there. Let's correct that and celebrate the timeless quality and relevance of that music.'
Soda Stereo disbanded in 1997 at the peak of their career due to the exhaustion caused by their self-imposed discipline, which made them work long hours together seven days a week, with just a few vacation weeks on their own at the end of their extensive Latin American tours. They reunited for a record-breaking tour in 2007 which, according to drummer Charly Alberti, led to a global tour offer from a US promoter who saw them as the culmination of the Latin music crossover that started with Ritchie Valens and continued with Santana, Ricky Martin, and Shakira.
They intended to resume recording new albums and touring. Sadly, Gustavo Cerati, the band's charismatic frontman, fell into a coma in May 2010 after a solo show in Venezuela and passed away on Sept. 4, 2014. His passing led to an outpouring of love and respect from fans and colleagues around the world. Cerati's massive funeral was compared to the funeral of iconic tango legend Carlos Gardel in 1935.
Coldplay's Chris Martin is without a doubt Soda Stereo's most high-profile and vocal fan; Gorillaz's Seye Adelakan has been a loyal admirer since his teenage years, 'They transcend the Spanish language' he says; Shakira cites them as the inspiration to become an artist; Andy Summers wanted to do more music with Cerati after they recorded together; and Bono prayed onstage for his recovery.
No band on the planet needs to be inducted into the RRHOF, but those who have been a positive influence should be honored with it. Soda Stereo has already secured its place in history and deserves this induction. Thanks to streaming services and Latin migration their music is now being discovered by audiences worldwide. Even non-Spanish speakers are captivated by what Gustavo Cerati, Charly Alberti, and Zeta Bosio created together.
Despite their legacy and positive impact on rock's development in Latin America, the band has yet to be nominated. Our petition has gathered close to 40,000 signatures from 70 countries across all continents and the endorsement of historically significant Hispanic rock stars asking the Rock Hall to take a groundbreaking step. Our campaign's media impact has prompted discussions about clear discrimination against Latin America. Many believe that if Soda Stereo were from the US or Europe and sang in English, they would have been inducted long ago.
The Rock Hall should not induct Soda Stereo only to satisfy a diversity quota. But it should also not discriminate against them because of their Latin American origin, their legacy being unknown to them, or especially because their songs are in a language they don't like or understand. Doing so would mean the diversity, equity, accessibility & inclusion policies stated on their website are just empty words.
It's time for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to look beyond the borders of the United States and Europe and prove that it is the global institution that fans around the world want it to be. This is especially important at this time when multicultural bridges and better social understanding are most needed everywhere. Rock and Roll has always acted as an agent of change and global unity at crucial moments in history. Is the Rock Hall up to the challenge, or are they just interested in selling tickets and putting up high-ratings induction ceremonies? The 2025 nominees will be announced soon, and even if Soda Stereo may not be on that list, we know that eventually, when the RRHOF starts listening to the fans, instead of acting as a dark conclave, they will recognize the first band that united millions of rock fans in every Latin American country and within the Hispanic community in the US, and that proved that it was possible to do world-class Rock sang on Spanish.
Please add your signature to our petition here.
An earlier version of this column originally ran on Billboard.com and Billboardespañol.com on Sept. 5, 2024.
Miguel Gálvez is a journalist and the creator and director of the Soda Stereo Rock Hall campaign.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
London museum opens vast 'on-demand' storehouse to public
Imagine being able to visit a museum and examine up close thousand-year-old pottery, revel alone in jewellery from centuries past, or peer inside a Versace bag. Now London's V&A has launched a revolutionary new exhibition space, where visitors can choose from some 250,000 objects, order something they want to spend time looking at, and have it delivered to a room for a private viewing. Most museums have thousands of precious and historic items hidden away in their stores, which the public never gets to see or enjoy. But the V&A Storehouse, which opened on May 31 in a specially converted warehouse, has come up with a radical new concept. And it is totally free. "Museums should be and are for everybody ... the V&A's collection is for everybody. It belongs to everybody, and everyone should be able to have free, equitable, and meaningful access to it," said senior curator Georgia Haseldine. "So this is a world first, never has anyone been able to be invited freely, without having to book into the same space as a national collection, on this scale." One fifth of the museum's total collection is now available to be viewed and enjoyed in the four-storey building on the former site of the 2012 London Olympic Games. - No protective glass - "It's fantastic, it's so much better than an ordinary museum," enthused retired physics teacher Jane Bailey as she toured the floors. "I'm just really, really impressed by it. We've only just heard about it, but it's phenomenal." She was transfixed by the sight of the black and red drum kit which belonged to Keith Moon, from the band The Who, saying it would be great to be able to resuscitate the legendary drummer who died in 1978, to play a set for them. Jostling for space, side-by-side on shelves in a massive hanger which resembles a DIY commercial warehouse and stretches for more than 30 basketball courts, are everything from ceramics and tapestries, to paintings and toys from the Tudor period. There is even the whole 15th-century gilded wooden ceiling from the now-lost Torrijos Palace, and the Kaufmann Office, a panelled room which is the only complete Frank Lloyd Wright interior outside of the United States. Hanging on display is the stunning stage front cloth made for "Le Train Bleu" - a copy of a Pablo Picasso painting it was specially designed for the 1924 Ballets Russes production. At 12 metres, its huge size means it has rarely been seen since its stage debut. There is no protective glass. One of the first visitors to the Storehouse was Princess Catherine, a patron of the V&A and keen art lover, who took a tour on Tuesday. She described the collection as "eclectic" as she used the "order an object" system to look at a samples book from renowned 19th century English textiles designer William Morris as well as rolls of ornate textiles and a musical instrument. All the works are available to the public seven days a week, and can be reserved via an online booking system for a private viewing at a date and time of your choice. Members of staff are on hand paying close attention as visitors don purple gloves and satisfy their curiosity, spending time with the object of their choice. - 'Love letter' - It's a huge departure from the usual admonishment of "Don't touch!" found in most museums seeking to protect their objects from damage. Curator Haseldine acknowledged "we have certainly met with some levels of scepticism and worry". But she said once the idea was explained properly including "how meaningful it is to ... start to open up and give collections back to a community ...people just start to think creatively about how we can do this". American national Manuel Garza living in London said he thought the V&A Storehouse was "one of the most interesting spaces that just opened up here in London". Haseldine said "this building is a love letter to objects". "To be able to see around the back of an object, to be able to look inside a dress, to be able to see the bottom of a pot, all these things are how we really learn about our material culture," she added. Expert Kate Hill, who teaches cultural history at Lincoln University, said "it's pretty unusual for museums to open up their storehouses". "Most of the time they offer some 'behind the scene' tour, but their objets are not accessible. It's visible but not accessible." Visitor Jane Bailey said: "I would hope that this is the museum of the future, because some are very, very stuffy. We went to one recently and it was excruciating." adm/jkb/yad
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Elizabeth Hurley Cast in 'Mischievous' Career-First Role and Fans Are Already 'Obsessed'
Elizabeth Hurley has landed a head-turning new gig! Marking her return to TV screens—her last TV show appearances included Runaways and The Royals from 2015 through 2019—the 59-year-old actress has been cast as 'The Deceseased,' a dead, glamorous benefactor in a gripping new series. Appearing in The Inheritance, which will air on the UK's Channel 4, it also marks her foray into a competition series that's described as very high-stakes. Per the synopsis, 'Thirteen strangers are summoned to a grand stately home. They are there to compete for part of the fortune left in the will of The Deceased.' It teases that 'winning the money won't be easy' as 'The Deceased had a wicked sense of humor and has designed a mischievous game to ensure only the best players can get their hands on her inheritance.' The executor and trusted legal counsel for Hurley's character, who will be keeping a "watchful eye," will be played by lawyer and British TV personality Robert Rinder. Contestants will have to work as a team to complete The Deceased's final request, including 'a series of devilishly difficult assignments that will demand they are clever, collaborative and cunning,' however, the twist is that only one player can claim the money gained in each request. Hurley released a statement calling it a 'thrill to be part of this clever game.' And fans shouldn't be surprised that the model will bring her A-game, noting, 'It all takes place on her huge estate in the English countryside, and she dresses to the nines in every scene.' Fans can also expect it to be as gripping and have the same allure as The Traitors, considering it hails from the same team, Studio Lambert. Steven Handley, Channel 4's Head of Reality & Entertainment, described the upcoming 12-episode show as "part Knives Out, part Succession", previously teasing the inclusion of "British icon" now revealed to be Hurley. 'The Inheritance isn't just a battle of strategy, alliances, and inevitable betrayals - it's a cocktail of drama, jeopardy, and outright mischief that Reality fans love. I can't wait to see how our players handle the challenges, the twists, and a few sneaky surprises, Handley revealed, per Deadline. Immediately following the reveal, fans took to the comments with reactions such as, "This looks insane 😍" "Hooked already ❤️ can't wait to see" "Obsessed already" and "This sounds very hardly wait to see it !!! ❤️🙌🔥😍🌟💞👌." 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
LA stars react to Trump's migrant crackdown
As President Donald Trump's military-backed crackdown on immigrants continues in Los Angeles and across the US, celebrities are speaking out against the tactics and what they say are the intolerant views driving them. Some pointed to the gulf between Trump's apocalyptic descriptions of a city in flames and the reality of a vast and diverse metropolis where largely peaceful protests are limited to a small part of downtown. Here's what the glitterati had to say: - 'We have to speak up' - Many celebrities touched on the disconnect between Trump's claims about arresting dangerous criminals and raids that appear to be targeting day laborers and factory workers. "When we're told that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) exists to keep our country safe and remove violent criminals -- great," LA native and reality star Kim Kardashian wrote on social media. "But when we witness innocent, hardworking people being ripped from their families in inhumane ways, we have to speak up." The billionaire behind Skims underwear added: "Growing up in LA, I've seen how deeply immigrants are woven into the fabric of this city. They are our neighbors, friends, classmates, coworkers and family. "No matter where you fall politically, it's clear that our communities thrive because of the contributions of immigrants." Singer Doechii echoed that sentiment in her acceptance speech for best female hip hop artist at the BET Awards on Sunday. "There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order. Trump is using military forces to stop a protest," the "Anxiety" singer said. "We all deserve to live in hope and not fear" - 'Not an apocalypse' - Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel gave a blistering 12-minute monologue from his studio in the heart of Hollywood, opening with footage of tourists enjoying the nearby attractions and a movie premiere. "Not only is it not an apocalypse, they're having a Disney/Pixar movie premiere right now for 'Elio', a movie about aliens -- don't tell Trump, he'll send the Green Berets in, too," the comedian said. There is something wrong, he said, with innocent people "being abducted -- which is the correct word to use -- by agents in masks, hiding their identities, grabbing people off the streets." - 'Un-American' - Grammy- and Oscar-winning musician and producer Finneas, famous for collaborations with sister Billie Eilish and for work on the "Barbie" movie soundtrack, reported being caught up in a heavy-handed police response at a protest. "Tear-gassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protest downtown — they're inciting this," the LA native wrote on Instagram. "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria, called the raids "un-American." "It's just so inhumane, hard to watch, it's hard, it's hard to witness from afar, I can't imagine what it's like to be in Los Angeles right now," she wrote on Instagram. Longoria added that the protests were a result of "the lack of due process for law-abiding, tax-paying immigrants who have been a part of our community for a very long time." sla/hg/nl