Works by Four Latinos, Including Santana, are Recognized by Grammy Hall of Fame

Late singer Freddy Fender's "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" was among 25 works to be added to the Grammy Hall of Fame. (AP)

Works by Santana, Los Panchos, Sergio Mendes and Freddy Fender are among 25 that have been selected for the 2012 Grammy Hall of Fame, the Recording Academy announced.

Santana’s album “Santana” from 1969, Los Panchos’ “Mexicantos” from 1945, Sergio Mendes’s “Herp Albert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66, from 1966, and Freddy Fender’s “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights, from 1975, are among the works selected.

They were among 25 works demonstrating “musical excellence” that are “at least 25 years old [and] that exhibit qualitative or historical significance,” according to the Recording Academy’s announcement.

"We are especially honored to welcome this year's selection of some of the most influential recordings of the last century,” said Neil Portnow, president of The Recording Academy. “Marked by both cultural and historical significance, these works truly have influenced and inspired audiences for generations, and we are thrilled to induct them into our growing catalog of outstanding recordings."

The works will be formally included in the collection, which dates back roughly 40 years, during Grammy Week in February. The new additions bring to 906 the number of works that have been recognized by the Recording Academy.

Others whose works that will be added to the Hall of Fame inductee list include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his “I Have a Dream” speech, Cole Porter for his “Anything Goes,” the Rolling Stones for their “Exile on Main Street,” and Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”

Earlier this year, Carlos Santana angrily criticized the elimination of Latin music categories from the Grammy Awards.

He said that those who had been involved in the decision to drop the categories were "ignorant and racist."

Freddy Fender, who died in 2006, was born Baldemar Huerta, the son of a Mexican immigrant father and a Texas-born mother. Some of his best-known songs were “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and “Secret Love.”

Sergio Mendes is a Brazilian-born jazz musician. Los Panchos was a trio that often performed ballads.

Santana, a group named after its leader, Carlos Santana, formed in 1966. Carlos Santana is scheduled to receive a California Hall of Fame award on Dec. 8. Others include the Beach Boys, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and basketball player Magic Johnson.

Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino
Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino