The Latin Recording Academy to honor Eva Ayllón, Joan Baez, José Cid, Lupita D’alessio, Hugo Fattoruso, Pimpinela, Omara Portuondo, and José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma" with The Lifetime Achievement Award

Mario Kaminsky to Receive the Trustees Award

MIAMI (Aug. 22, 2019) – The Latin Recording Academy^® announced today that Eva Ayllón, Joan Baez, José Cid, Lupita D’Alessio, Hugo Fattoruso, Pimpinela, Omara Portuondo, and José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma," will receive this year's Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, Mario Kaminsky will receive the Trustees Award. The honorees will be celebrated during a private luncheon ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas on Nov. 13, 2019, as part of the milestone 20th anniversary Latin GRAMMY^® week. Singer, composer and Latin GRAMMY winner Johnny Ventura, and renowned Mexican journalist Paola Rojas will be the hosts of the event.

"I’m delighted to recognize a remarkable and well-rounded group of individuals with this year’s Lifetime Achievement and Trustees Awards," said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., Latin Recording Academy President/CEO. "Each of these legends continues leaving their mark in the Latin music world through their talent, grace, and passion for creating sounds that have vibrated throughout our communities while helping to build our music for decades. We are looking forward to spotlighting their accomplishments during our landmark 20th anniversary Latin GRAMMY week."

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to Latin music. The Trustees Award is bestowed to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to music during their careers. The Latin Recording Academy's Board of Trustees is the body that votes on both distinctions.

Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees:

Eva Ayllón (Peru)

Eva Ayllón is one of the most celebrated voices in the Afro-Peruvian tradition. Her career started as a member of the popular group Los Kipus, with whom she recorded a catalog of Peruvian folk gems marked by nostalgic melodies and lilting guitar harmonies, followed by a debut solo album, Esta Noche, six years later. Ayllón performed a series of unforgettable concerts at Lima's Teatro Municipal throughout the '90s. Her fame spread beyond South America, with frequent European tours, performances at Carnegie Hall, and a live DVD recorded in Los Angeles. Besides joining the Peruvian version of "The Voice" as a coach, Ayllón continues to tour while expanding her recorded repertoire with a wide array of Latin styles.

Joan Baez (U.S.)

Folk super star singer-songwriter Joan Baez bravely embraced her Latin roots in times where being Latino in the U.S. would backfire in most cases. By recording luminous versions of classic Latin anthems in the '60s, she helped pioneer the American roots revival, paving the way for like-minded artists such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. In 1974, she released her Latin magnum opus, Gracias A La Vida, that framed her never ending context of fighting for the socially abandoned, civic causes and cultural values. With definitive renditions of "Guantanamera," Víctor Jara's "Te Recuerdo Amanda," and even the self-penned "Las Madres Cansadas" Baez has continued exploring an eclectic array of genres and styles across more than 30 albums.

José Cid (Portugal)

José Cid has effortlessly adapted the influence of Anglo popular music into an original style of Portuguese pop-rock. In 1956, the emergence of his cover band Os Babies marked a before-and-after moment for pop-rock in Portugal. His next group, Quarteto 1111, created the foundations of Portuguese rock, with a strong psychedelic tinge and groundbreaking releases such as the massive 1967 hit "A Lenda De El-Rei D. Sebastião." Continuing as a solo artist, in 1978 he released 10000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte, widely considered a progressive rock masterpiece. As he reached a new stage of musical maturity in the '80s, Cid turned his songbook to the roots of Portugal on the haunting Fado De Sempre. With dozens of hits under his belt, he remains a major concert draw in Portugal, releasing new music and live concert albums.

Lupita D’Alessio (Mexico)

Lupita D’Alessio, also known as "La Leona Dormida" (the Sleeping Lioness) began her career in the early '70s and continues to this day. She has moved effortlessly between slick pop hooks and epic ranchera sessions and has been a key singer in Mexican popular music for the past five decades. In 1971, she released her superb debut, Mi Corazón Es Un Gitano. Boasting ornate arrangements, the album included hit singles such as "Con Amor" and the title track, a cover of an Italian hit. By the mid-'70s, D’Alessio found additional success in the children's music genre and in the '80s she appeared on Mexican soap operas and had a string of radio hits. Since then, she has continued releasing albums and she re-emerged as a key performer after 2010 and in 2017 launched the autobiographical TV series "Hoy Voy A Cambiar."

Hugo Fattoruso (Uruguay)

Iconic Uruguayan keyboardist, singer, and composer Hugo Fattoruso is known for blending rock and roll, electric jazz, and bossa nova with traditional styles and creating his own contemporary sound, which led to a number of key records that span the past six decades of Latin music. Fattoruso began playing the piano professionally at age 12 with his father and brother Osvaldo—a lifelong collaborator—as part of Trío Fattoruso. In the mid-'60s he founded Los Shakers, which became one of the first bands to define the rock en español genre. The band's 1968 album, La Conferencia Secreta Del Toto's Bar, was a definitive masterpiece of the genre, and the next year Fattoruso and his brother released La Bossa Nova De Hugo Y Osvaldo. Fattoruso spent most of the '70s in the United States playing with the trio Opa before moving to Brazil in the '80s, where he worked with a gallery of musical giants, from Milton Nascimento and Chico Buarque to Djavan and Maria Bethânia. In recent years, Fattoruso has performed in a variety of formats and settings, continuing to explore the fusion of jazz and South American folk. His discography includes dozens of albums, rich in innovation and experimentation.

Pimpinela (Argentina)

Argentinian brother-sister duo Pimpinela's novel approach of mixing music with theatrical drama changed the face of Latin pop, generating sales of more than 30 million records. The emotional honesty and rich melodic content of their work struck a chord with the public beginning with their 1984 hit "Olvídame Y Pega La Vuelta." In the '80s they released albums in English, Italian, and Portuguese, and performed at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival, and collaborated with Spanish crooner Dyango. In the '90s they embarked on a change of style, favoring a more relaxed approach and experimenting with traditional Latin formats. Always eager to try new projects, in 2003 they released an album of Italian pop covers titled Al Modo Nuestro, staged the musical comedy Pimpinela, La Familia in 2010, and even published an autobiography in 2017.

Omara Portuondo (Cuba)

Few vocalists have enjoyed a career as dazzling and mercurial as veteran Cuban singer Omara Portuondo. Born in Havana in 1930, Portuondo began her career as a dancer before joining the all-female Orquesta Anacaona in the early '50s. In 1952, she and her sister Haydeé, along with Elena Burke and Moraima Secada, helped form the vocal quartet Cuarteto D’Aida, acclaimed for its refreshing combination of jazz harmonies and traditional Cuban styles. Portuondo remained with Cuarteto for 15 years, performing in Cuba and touring the United States while finding the time to record a stunning debut album, Magia Negra, in 1959. Later, Portuondo remained active as a member of classic charanga Orquesta Aragón, touring in Europe, Africa, and recording a series of solo performances. In 1999, her performance of "Silencio" with Compay Segundo for the Buena Vista Social Club film soundtrack was a highlight of the million-selling album. In 2000, the Social Club presented an exquisite album featuring Portuondo, and in 2009 she received a Latin GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Tropical Album for Gracias. At 89, she remains active in the recording studio and on concert stages around the globe.

José Luis Rodríguez (Venezuela)

José Luis Rodríguez, also known worldwide as "El Puma," transcended the boundaries of classic Venezuelan baladas and Latin pop, becoming a cultural treasure for people all over Latin America and in many countries around the world. He began his career singing as a kid with the pop group Los Zeppy, but in 1963, bandleader Luis María "Billo" Frómeta spotted him on a television show and invited him to join Billo's Caracas Boys (Venezuela's great Afro-Caribbean orchestra). Rodríguez spent four years singing boleros, merengues, and other tropical formats, honing the smoldering vocal style that he would later transpose to the balada genre. In 1968, he simultaneously released the album Lo Romántico De José Luis while acting in soap operas. In 1972, he expanded his style with a broader pop repertoire and gained his artistic moniker when portraying the character El Puma in the soap opera "Una Muchacha Llamada Milagros."  International success arrived in the late '70s, with recordings in Spain and the release of major hits such as "Voy A Perder La Cabeza Por Tu Amor," "Pavo Real," and "Dueño De Nada." In 2017, he survived a double-lung transplant and returned to action in 2019 with the appropriately titled Agradecido (Grateful) tour.

Trustees Award Honoree:

Mario Kaminsky (Argentina)

The enjoyment, promotion, and preservation of music has been at the core of Mario Kaminsky's professional life for over 60 years. The Argentine executive who was a native of Chile has been involved in every possible aspect of the business, including the intersection of music, film, and television. Kaminsky founded Microfón Argentina, a record label in 1959. It was through the management of this label that Kaminsky's strength as an eclectic tastemaker shone through, effectively changing the landscape of Latin music by recording pioneering artists such as singer/guitarist Atahualpa Yupanqui, folk groups Los Chalchaleros and Los Fronterizos, and iconic rock stars Charly García and Luis Alberto Spinetta. After tremendous efforts and not less success, Microfón and Mario became considered the home and father of rock en español. The Microfón catalog was sold to Sony in 1995, as Kaminsky continued to explore new creative avenues. From 1997 to 2000, he was president of the Argentine branch of Fonovisa Records. He has also played a prominent role in radio, television, music publishing, and film production.

Latin GRAMMY Week will culminate with the 20th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards^®, which will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 14, from 8–11 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central) on Univision.

For more information and the latest news, please visit the official Latin Recording Academy website at: LatinGRAMMY.com (#LatinGRAMMY).

Facebook: LatinGRAMMYs | Twitter: @LatinGRAMMYs | Instagram: @LatinGRAMMYs

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ABOUT THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY:

The Latin Recording Academy is an international, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers, and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, The Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community either directly or through its Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation^®. For more information about The Latin Recording Academy, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

The Lippin Group on behalf of The Latin Recording Academy:

Elina Adut: EAdut@lippingroup.com

323.965.1990

The Latin Recording Academy:

Soledad Estrella: Soledad.estrella@ grammy.com

305.576.0036

Valued at $120,000, the scholarship will cover tuition and wrap-around services that further the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation’s mission of offering educational opportunities to students with a passion for flamenco music

Deadline to Apply: April 10, 2025

MIAMI (JANUARY 21, 2025) – The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® announced the Paco de Lucía Legacy Scholarship, the first of the Legacy Scholarship series, established in partnership with the Paco de Lucía Foundation. The scholarship furthers the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation's mission of supporting and cultivating the next generation of music creators, offering educational opportunities that advance Latin music and its legacy.

The Paco de Lucía Legacy Scholarship will award $120,000 toward tuition, including wrap-around services provided by the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, for a student to attend the music institution of their choice.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to expand our reach to future Latin music creators through this scholarship, in partnership with the Paco de Lucía Foundation,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “It’s an honor to pay tribute to the legacy of one of the most influential guitar players in the history of flamenco and music in general, and forge new paths in his memory.”

Casilda Sánchez Varela, president of the Paco de Lucía Foundation, said, “It’s important to support young musicians through international platforms as prestigious as the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, and, of course, through the artistic and personal legacy of maestros like Paco de Lucía.”

The scholarship will be awarded to a music student between 17 and 25 years of age who demonstrates a passion for flamenco music, is enrolled in the music institution of their choice, and faces financial limitations in pursuing a college degree. The student can pursue a bachelor’s degree at their preferred institution and begin their musical studies in the fall of 2025.

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation is accepting applications for all 2025 scholarships until April 10, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Click here to review 2025 guidelines and apply. The application includes two audition videos, two letters of recommendation, two essays, and an acceptance letter from an accredited university. Materials can be submitted in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Last year, The Latin Recording Academy®, in collaboration with the Regional Government of Andalucía, hosted the Latin GRAMMY® Celebra: Paco de Lucía event in Cádiz, in homage to the guitarist. The event, attended by the Andalusian maestro’s family, was a journey through Paco de Lucía's life, accompanied by artists and friends who shared his path and performed some of his most beloved songs.

During the tribute, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with the Paco de Lucía Foundation and Berklee College of Music, exclusively premiered a recording and video clip of “Cositas Buenas,” composed by Paco de Lucía. The recording featured four Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation scholarship recipients, with arrangements and instrumentation by artists from the Alalá Foundation and production by Salomé Limón, a member of the Circle of Producers and Engineers of The Latin Academy.

To date, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has awarded 427 scholarships and invested over $10 million in scholarships, grants, educational programs and mentorships over the last decade.

For information and the latest news, please visit the official Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation website at www.latingrammyculturalfoundation.org

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ABOUT THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION:

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by The Latin Recording Academy® with the vision of becoming a global champion of music education and empowering communities through Latin music and culture. In 2024, the Foundation celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and during the last decade it has fostered the next generation of Latin music creators through scholarships, education programs and grants that advance Latin music and celebrate its rich cultural heritage. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $10 million with the support of The Latin Recording Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors. For additional information or to donate, please visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.org or our Facebook page. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on X and Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn.

ABOUT PACO DE LUCÍA:

Paco de Lucía revolutionized flamenco, taking his art from the smallest tablaos to the most prestigious stages worldwide. He combined tradition and avant-garde, resulting in a unique style that transcended genres. Works such as El Concierto De Aranjuez and Entre Dos Aguas redefined flamenco guitar, consolidating the maestro as one of the 20th century’s most influential musicians.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

The Latin Recording Academy

Nathalie Alberto

Nathalie.Alberto@grammy.com

Equipo Singular

María García: maria.garcia@equiposingular.com

Sofía Esnaola: sofia.esnaola@equiposingular.com

As part of its commitment to further the Foundation’s mission, Berklee College of Music pledges $825,000 in scholarships to be distributed over the next three years

Deadline to apply is April 10, 2025

MIAMI (JANUARY 8, 2025) — The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® announced the first Emerging Artist Scholarship, in partnership with Berklee College of Music, toward a bachelor’s degree at the college for the 2025 fall semester. Through a series of scholarships, the institution furthers its commitment to advance the Foundation’s mission to provide educational opportunities that advance Latin music and its heritage, pledging $825,000 over the next three years for future music creators.

The Emerging Artist Scholarship is valued at $275,000, and covers a bachelor’s degree and room and board at Berklee, as well as wrap around services and ongoing mentorship and learning opportunities provided in partnership with the Foundation.

The Foundation has collaborated with Berklee College of Music for more than a decade, and many of its high school graduates and recipients of the prestigious Prodigy Scholarship have attended the college to pursue degrees in music.

“The collaboration between Berklee and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has been an excellent model in creating access to education and career opportunities for young artists,” said Jim Lucchese, president of Berklee. “The Emerging Artist Scholarship will continue and expand on this great work by offering additional pathways to help students achieve their dreams at Berklee.”

“The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has been a tremendous supporter of our students, contributing many millions of dollars in scholarship support to some of our gifted artists,” said Damien Bracken, dean of admissions at Berklee. “In celebration of the Foundation’s 10-year anniversary commemorated in 2024, I am so pleased to establish the Emerging Artist Scholarship in partnership with the Foundation, a Presidential level scholarship for undergraduate studies. We look forward to continuing to explore new ways that Berklee and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation can work together to support prospective students and applicants.”

“Berklee College of Music has been a committed partner of the Foundation for more than a decade, and we are so pleased to enter this next phase in our collaboration,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “We are grateful for Berklee’s ongoing support as together, with their generosity, we continue furthering the Foundation’s mission and expanding access to educational opportunities that advance Latin music and its heritage.”

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation is now accepting applications for all 2025 scholarships until April 10, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Click here to review 2025 guidelines and apply. The application includes two audition videos, two letters of recommendation, two essays, and an acceptance letter from an accredited university. Materials can be submitted in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

To date, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has awarded 427 scholarships, investing more than $10 million over the last decade in scholarships, grants, educational and mentorship programs.

For information and the latest news, please visit the official Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation website at: www.latingrammyculturalfoundation.org.

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ABOUT BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC:

Berklee is the preeminent institute of contemporary music and the performing arts, offering undergraduate, graduate degree programs, and other capacity building programs at its campuses in Boston, Massachusetts, New York, New York, and Valencia, Spain, through its award-winning distance learning program, Berklee Online, and the Berklee Abu Dhabi Center in the UAE. Dedicated to nurturing the creative and career potential of the world’s most inspired artists, Berklee’s commitment to arts education is reflected in the work of its students, faculty, and alumni—hundreds of whom have been recognized with GRAMMYs, Tonys, Oscars, and Emmys.

ABOUT THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION:

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by The Latin Recording Academy® with the vision of becoming a global champion of music education and empowering communities through Latin music and culture. In 2024, the Foundation celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and during the last decade it has fostered the next generation of Latin music creators through scholarships, education programs and grants that advance Latin music and celebrate its rich cultural heritage. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $10 million dollars with the support of The Latin Recording Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors. For additional information or to donate, please visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.org or our Facebook page. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on X and Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:

The Latin Recording Academy

Nathalie Alberto

Nathalie.Alberto@grammy.com

For the first time, the four-year scholarship towards a bachelor's degree and wrap around services will be sponsored by a record label

Additional scholarships are available to music students with financial limitations from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, Gil Family Foundation and Gibson Gives

Deadline to apply is April 10, 2025

MIAMI (DECEMBER 20, 2024) — The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® announced that Warner Music Latina will sponsor its Prodigy Scholarship toward a bachelor’s degree at Berklee College of Music. The scholarship will cover tuition and room and board for the 2025 fall semester, as well as wrap around services provided by the Foundation. Warner Music Latina—a powerhouse in Latin music with a legacy of discovering and developing groundbreaking artists across genres— brings its industry-leading expertise and deep commitment to nurturing emerging talent to this partnership. It is the first time in the scholarship’s decade long history that it will be sponsored by a record label.

“This partnership embodies one of our core values: to cultivate intellectual and artistic potential by removing barriers that often impede exceptional musicians from realizing their vision. Through strategic educational support we're not just investing in individual careers, but in the broader cultural landscape of musical innovation,” said Alejandro Duque, President of Warner Music Latin America. Roberto Andrade, Managing Director, Warner Music Latina, added, “At Warner Music Latina, we’re proud to support young talent through this scholarship. By empowering aspiring musicians, we’re investing in the voices that will shape tomorrow’s soundtrack. This is more than an opportunity – it’s a commitment to creativity, talent and the future of music.”

“The support of our donors makes the fulfillment of our mission to provide educational opportunities that advance Latin music and its heritage a reality,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “We are grateful to Warner Music Latina, Frost School of Music, Gibson Gives and the Gil Family Foundation for hosting these scholarships, providing opportunities to aspiring Latin music creators in need of financial aid to pursue their dreams.”

In addition, several scholarships are available for music students between the ages of 17 and 25 with a passion for Latin music and financial limitations:

Two (2) Gifted Tuition Scholarships of up to $120,000 each will be awarded to students to cover tuition costs towards a four-year bachelor's degree in music and wrap around services starting next fall as follows:

• The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami will award one scholarship to a student interested in pursuing a program at the highly acclaimed music school, for up to $120,000 including wrap around services over four years. Sharing a mission to shape the future of music and transform lives, the Frost School and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation joining forces has been a long time coming, and most recently, the school hosted the Foundation's 10-year celebration on its Miami campus at the brand-new Knight Center for Music Innovation.

• Gil Family Foundation will also offer a scholarship for up to $120,000 for tuition and wrap around services for a student to attend the music institution of their choice.

Also, several other Tuition Assistance Scholarships offering up to $12,500 each for tuition and wrap around services over one year will be awarded to students to attend or who are attending the music institution of their choice. These are one-time awards.

Gibson Gives, the philanthropic division of the iconic American instrument brand Gibson, will offer three (3) Tuition Assistance Scholarships of up to $12,500 each to be awarded to students who study guitar as their principal instrument. This is a one-time award that will cover tuition and wrap around services for the music institution of their choice and includes the gift of a Gibson guitar.

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation is now accepting applications for all 2025 scholarships until April 10, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Click here to review 2025 guidelines and apply. The application includes two audition videos, two letters of recommendation, two essays, and an acceptance letter from an accredited university. Materials can be submitted in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

To date, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has awarded 427 scholarships, investing more than $10 million over the last decade. The Prodigy Scholarship was created 10 years ago, and has been co-sponsored by iconic Latin music creators including Sebastián Yatra (2024), Nicky Jam (2023), Sofia Carson (2022), Juanes (2021), Julio Iglesias (2020), Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2019), Carlos Vives (2018), Miguel Bosé (2017), Juan Luis Guerra (2016) and Enrique Iglesias (2015).

For information and the latest news, please visit the official Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation website at: www.latingrammyculturalfoundation.org

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ABOUT THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION:

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by The Latin Recording Academy® with the vision of becoming a global champion of music education and empowering communities through Latin music and culture. In 2024 the Foundation will celebrate its 10-year anniversary, and during the last decade it has fostered the next generation of Latin music creators through scholarships, education programs and grants that advance Latin music and celebrate its rich cultural heritage. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $10 million dollars with the support of The Latin Recording Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors. For additional information or to donate, please visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.org or our Facebook page. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on X and Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:

The Latin Recording Academy

Nathalie Alberto

Nathalie.Alberto@grammy.com

Six talented researchers, musicologists, non-profit organizations and educational institutions will receive a total of $60,000 for research and preservation of Latin music, sponsored for the first time by PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos

MIAMI (DECEMBER 19, 2024) — The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® announced the six winners of its Latin Music Research and Preservation Grants program. This marks the second time this year that winners have been awarded for this program.

In celebration of the Foundation’s 10th anniversary, and in partnership with PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos, it launched six additional grants increasing the individual grant amounts from $5,000 to $10,000 each, for a total of $60,000 distributed amongst projects for this group.

The program provides grants to educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, musicologists and researchers around the world who are enhancing and preserving Latin music heritage. This year, a diverse array of institutions and scholars will benefit from this support. The six grants are dedicated to a range of initiatives. Research Grants focus on projects that highlight historical and anthropological studies, as well as the documentation of traditions and Latin folklore, while Preservation Grants are designed to fund the archiving and safeguarding of Latin music and its distinctive cultural practices.

“Research and Preservation Grants are essential for preserving the legacy of Latin music and fostering the next generation of creators. We are grateful to PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos for their unwavering support and continued passion to celebrating Latin music and its cultural heritage,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “Together, we are able to broaden our reach and provide support to even more deserving projects in alignment with our mission.”

Awarded Research Grants:

Dr. Manuel Sevilla, Colombia – Archivos y festivales: Aprendizajes de dos casos en Colombia (Archives and Festivals: Learnings from Two Cases in Colombia) delves into the rich cultural heritage of Colombia, analyzing innovative practices in archive creation, the roles of key stakeholders, and the ways archives are utilized to strengthen musical ecosystems. This initiative focuses on two celebrated festivals: the Festival de Música del Pacífico Petronio Álvarez (The Pacific Music Festival Petronio Álvarez) in Cali and the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata (Vallenato Legend Festival) in Valledupar. Both festivals honor musical traditions recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, highlighting their significance in preserving and celebrating Colombia’s vibrant cultural legacy.

Jorge Benavides, Honduras – Dügü Inaudito: Salvaguardia del Legado Ancestral Garífuna (Inaudible Dügü: Safeguarding the Ancestral Garífuna Legacy) is an initiative dedicated to revitalizing the Garífuna language, music, and dance—proudly recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. According to UNESCO, these practices face significant risks due to discrimination and the declining transmission of the Garífuna language. This project, developed in collaboration with Tambor Negro, will document the Dügü, an ancestral ceremony that embodies the essence of Garífuna intangible heritage. The findings will contribute to the broader Indigenous Languages Project led by the CCET and will also be integrated into the MUSIDANSE Institute at the University of Paris 8, ensuring global recognition and preservation of this invaluable cultural legacy.

Caio de Souza, Brazil – Sonic Transductions: Revisiting Lorenzo Dow Turner’s Radioscape in Bahia (1940-1941), an innovative project that seeks to shed light on artistic production, cultural and social fabric, and historical context by bringing to life the groundbreaking recordings made by African-American linguist Lorenzo Dow Turner in Salvador, Bahia, during 1940 and 1941. Through these rediscovered audio treasures, the project will offer fresh perspectives on the artistic production of Bahia’s capital, extending beyond the renowned figures of this pivotal era. The initiative will culminate in a six-episode podcast series, providing an in-depth exploration of these recordings and their enduring significance, inviting listeners to engage with a rich and multifaceted chapter of Brazil’s cultural history.

Awarded Preservation Grants:

Orquesta Experimental de Instrumentos Nativos, Bolivia – The Orquesta Experimental de Instrumentos Nativos (OEIN) (Experimental Orchestra of Native Instruments) has launched an ambitious initiative to preserve and celebrate the country’s indigenous musical heritage. Preservación, Digitalización y Geolocalización de los Registros de Música Indígena Boliviana de Alain Thirion (Preservation, Digitization, and Geolocation of Alain Thirion's Records of Bolivian Indigenous Music) focuses on the preservation, digitization, cataloging, and geolocation of a remarkable collection of recordings made by Australian researcher Alain Thirion in the 1990s. These recordings capture the rich musical traditions of various indigenous communities from Bolivia’s highlands and valleys—many of which face the risk of extinction due to migration, generational shifts, and the pressures of globalization. Through this initiative, the OEIN aims to safeguard and share this invaluable cultural legacy with future generations, ensuring it remains a vibrant part of Bolivia’s national identity.

Andrew Skinner, Daniel Zanessi and Antonio Leguiza, together with the Faculty of Arts and Design of the National University of Cuyo, Argentina – The project Creación de "Archivo de Música Cuyana y Popular Argentina" en La Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Creation of the 'Archive of Cuyana and Popular Argentine Music' at the National University of Cuyo) is focused on establishing the first public archive of Cuyano and Argentine Popular Music. It aims to recover, preserve, and promote a vast collection of musical recordings that are of immense importance to the Cuyano, Argentine, and Latin American cultures. To form the archive, they have based their efforts on the audio collection of the historic Zanessi Studio, culminating years of preservation projects and institutionalizing the care of this valuable material. From this foundation, they are creating a public space where musicians and their families can contribute their materials to this Creative Commons collection, ensuring its preservation at the National University of Cuyo. As a first contribution, they will present the already digitized audio collection as part of the "Zanessi Collection" project, funded by The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation’s Latin Music Research and Preservation Grant program in 2023. Among the many musical archives, it will include the complete works of Tito Francia, a founding member of the Nueva Canción movement, who collaborated with Mercedes Sosa, Armando Tejada Gómez, Oscar Matus, and revolutionized the aesthetic of Cuyano music, extending his influence across Latin America.

Miguel Díaz y Nicolas Ramirez Salaberry, Paraguay – The Creación de la Fonoteca Memoria Histórica de la Radio Nacional del Paraguay (Creation of the Historical Memory Sound Archive of the National Radio of Paraguay) aims to rescue, safeguard, and promote the preservation of vinyl records from the former radio station's archive. This invaluable collection was discovered during a research project conducted in 2023 by Mg. Nicolás Ramírez Salaberry and Dr. Miguel Díaz Antar, with financial support from the National Secretariat of Culture of Paraguay. Initially, the researchers sought to create an updated inventory of the Radio Nacional del Paraguay's archive for musicological studies. However, they found that no such collection existed. The few remaining and rare records that had survived media changes were scattered and poorly preserved. Through interviews with former staff and directors, it was revealed that much of the archive's material had been looted and disappeared in connection with events surrounding the fall of dictator Alfredo Stroessner in 1989, and the subsequent erasure of files related to the dictatorship. The investigation resulted in the recovery of 120 vinyl records that belonged to the old sound archive and constitute the primary safeguarding material for the current project.

A committee of experts from Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula, and the United States selected the recipients among numerous qualified candidates. Since its inception in 2015, the program has awarded more than $255,000 in grants to support projects, one of which received a Latin GRAMMY® and GRAMMY® Award.

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ABOUT THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION:

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by The Latin Recording Academy®, with the vision of becoming a global champion of music education and empowering communities through Latin music and culture. In 2024 the Foundation celebrates its 10-year anniversary, and during the last decade it has fostered the next generation of Latin music creators through scholarships, education programs and grants that advance Latin music and celebrate its rich cultural heritage. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $10 million dollars with the support of The Latin Recording Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors. For additional information, or to donate, please visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.org or our Facebook  page. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on X and Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:

The Latin Recording Academy

Nathalie Alberto

Nathalie.Alberto@grammy.com

305.428.3476