Six talented music institutions, nonprofit organizations, musicologists and researchers will receive a total of $30,000 for research and preservation of Latin music
Latin GRAMMY® winner and GRAMMY® nominee Silvestre Dangond sponsored two grants in support of research and preservation of the vallenato genre
MIAMI (DECEMBER 9, 2025) — The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® announced the winners of its 2025 Latin Music Research and Preservation Grant Program. This year, the Foundation awarded a total of $30,000 across six grants to support projects dedicated to researching and preserving Latin music. Two of the awarded research and preservation grants were dedicated to the continued growth and development of vallenato, pledged by Latin GRAMMY® winner and GRAMMY® nominee Silvestre Dangond.
“Research and preservation allow us to keep the heartbeat of Latin music alive by protecting its stories, rhythms and cultural roots for future generations,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “We are honored to champion these remarkable projects and grateful to Silvestre Dangond for his commitment to preserving the legacy of the vallenato genre and ensuring the future of Latin music.”
“Vallenato gave me a voice, a purpose and a connection to the world,” said Dangond. “Supporting projects that study and preserve its history is a great responsibility that I carry with pride. If we want this music to continue touching hearts, we must protect the legacy of those who created it.”
Awarded Preservation Grants:
Julia Sánchez, Peru – Conservación y Preservación del Patrimonio Musical del Maestro Cantautor Ernesto Sánchez Fajardo “El Jilguero del Huascarán” (Conservation and Preservation of the Musical Heritage of Singer/Songwriter Ernesto Sánchez Fajardo “El Jilguero del Huascarán”). Julia Sánchez, researcher and cultural manager at the Universidad Nacional de Folklore “José María Arguedas,” leads a project dedicated to preserving and restoring the phonographic archive of Ernesto Sánchez Fajardo, “El Jilguero del Huascarán,” a pioneering Andean artist and symbol of Peru’s 20th-century migration. The initiative aims to restore and digitize 159 rare 78-RPM and vinyl recordings that document four decades of Huayno’s evolution as a form of cultural resilience. The project will produce a complete technical inventory, restored and digitized audio files in high-resolution WAV format, and three documentary podcasts for public and academic dissemination.
Miviam Ruiz Pérez, Mexico – Preservación y Diseminación de la Obra Inédita de Carlo Borbolla (1902-1990): Archivo Vivo de la Música Caribeña (Preservation and Dissemination of the Unpublished Works of Carlo Borbolla (1902–1990): Living Archive of Caribbean Music).
This project aims to preserve and diffuse the unpublished works of Cuban musicologist Carlo Borbolla Téllez, whose extensive personal archive includes compositions, writings and autobiographical documents largely unknown to the public. Led by Dr. Miviam Ruiz Pérez, the initiative will establish an open-access digital repository to promote Borbolla’s legacy across research, performance, and music education in Latin America. Through this effort, the project not only revives Borbolla’s contributions but also deepens the understanding of the musical and cultural roots that connect genres such as jazz and salsa to their Caribbean origins.
Awarded Research Grants:
Luis Alvarado, Peru – La Evolución de la Pandilla Selvática (The Evolution of the Pandilla Selvática). Luis Alvarado’s research explores the evolution of the pandilla selvática, a defining genre of Peruvian Amazonian popular music. The project traces how its transformation — through the incorporation of the electric guitar into cumbia amazónica — forged a unique regional identity. It also examines how the genre continues to thrive in contemporary jazz and experimental electronic scenes, illustrating its ongoing relevance within Peru’s dynamic musical landscape.
Dr. Romy Martínez, Netherlands – Guaranía in Translation: From Paraguay to Europe Through Music and Language. This project celebrates the centenary of Paraguay’s musical genre Guaranía, created in 1925 by José Asunción Flores, and recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024. Dr. Romy Martínez seeks to preserve and disseminate the genre internationally through concerts, research and intercultural collaboration across Northern Europe. By engaging new audiences in multilingual and multicultural settings, the initiative ensures that the Guaranía genre remains a living tradition. It bridges cultures while honoring Paraguay’s musical legacy.
Awarded Vallenato Preservation Grant:
Jhojam Rincón, Colombia – Tiempos Idos - Apología a la Amistad (Times Gone By: An Apology to Friendship). Jhojam Rincón’s preservation initiative aims to safeguard an extraordinary sound archive that captures spontaneous parrandas vallenatas recorded between 1974 and 1985, featuring legends such as Leandro Díaz, Rafael Escalona, and the Zuleta brothers. Compiled by collector Juan de Jesús Celedón, the 120 analog cassettes contain unreleased performances, improvisations and verses that mark the golden era of Colombian vallenato. Through professional digitization and secure archiving, the project preserves this invaluable musical record for future generations.
Awarded Vallenato Research Grant:
Ángela Marín Niebles, Colombia – Mujeres en el Vallenato: Una Historia Por Contar (Women in Vallenato: A Story Yet to Be Told). Dr. Ángela Martín Niebles leads a multidisciplinary study to document and celebrate the pioneering women of vallenato music in the early 20th century. Through historical, anthropological and musicological research, the project reconstructs the lives and contributions of female composers and performers who have long been overlooked in a male-dominated genre. By producing accessible multimedia materials, the project strengthens Colombia’s cultural memory and promotes gender equity in the nation’s musical heritage.
A committee of experts from Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula and the United States selected the winners among numerous qualified candidates. Since its inception in 2015, the program has awarded more than $285,000 in grants to support projects, including one that has received a Latin GRAMMY and a GRAMMY.
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ABOUT SILVESTRE DANGOND:
Silvestre Dangond is a world-renowned artist from Colombia, who is especially known for globalizing the vallenato genre. In his nearly 25 years in the industry, Dangond has won four Latin GRAMMYs®, including Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album this year for his latest LP El Último Baile, and earned a GRAMMY nomination. Dangond also recently announced the U.S. leg of his El Último Baile Tour, a series of concerts that will bring this historic project to major venues across the country in 2026. He has collaborated with artists including Nicky Jam, Natti Natasha, Carín León, Emilia, Sebastián Yatra, Fonseca and Carlos Vives, and he often works with initiatives in support of the next generation of vallenato artists.
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 $13.9 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 Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn.
MEDIA CONTACT:
The Latin Recording Academy
Nathalie Alberto
Nathalie.alberto@grammy.com