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The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® awarded the Paco de Lucía Legacy Scholarship to the young flamenco guitarist from Jerez de la Frontera, Marcos Gago Pino, during a press conference in Sevilla, hosted by journalist Verónica Chumillas Martínez. Luis Cobos, chairman of the LatinGRAMMY Cultural Foundation’s Board of Directors, Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, executive director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation and Cristóbal Sánchez, Director of the Paco de Lucía Foundation participated in the event. Latin GRAMMY® winner Arcángel and Latin GRAMMY nominee Pastora Soler joined theconference, where they shared words of wisdom and encouragement to the scholarship recipient. The conference also featured the participation of Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy®, and Arturo Bernal, Minister of Tourism and Andalucía Exterior from the Junta de Andalucía.
The scholarship, established in association with the Paco de Lucía Foundation, advances the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation’s mission of supporting and cultivating the next generation of Latin music creators, offering educational opportunities to advance Latin music and its heritage. With a value up to $120,000, the scholarship covers tuition, instrument, classes and complementary formative experiences and wrap-around services provided by the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, enabling a student to attend the music institution of their choice.  “Paco de Lucía has been and continues to be the most important artist, composer and guitarist of the 20th and 21st centuries. An undisputed genius, pioneer in advancing and evolving flamenco. At our Foundation, we feel deeply proud because with this Legacy Scholarship that we award today we follow the path that Paco started and blazed. We are very proud to continue to foster Spanish talent as well as flamenco studies, which will continue to enrich global music culture and our Latin music,” said Cobos. “We are proud to award the first Paco de Lucía Legacy Scholarship —honoring the great Andalucian maestro— strengthening the future of Latin music,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, executive director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “We thank the Paco de Lucia Foundation for their valuable partnership that has made it possible to support young musicians like Marcos.” “I’m grateful to every person who invested in youth and cultural development, and who allowed me to continue advancing my great passion, which is flamenco,” Gago Pino said. “Thank you very much to the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation and the Paco de Lucía Foundation for this amazing opportunity, which I hope to make themost of at every moment—on my part, I won’t lack the desire or the strength.” Lucía Sánchez Varela, president of the Paco de Lucía Foundation, congratulated Gago Pino on this deserving support. Additionally, she expressed gratitude to the LatinGRAMMY Cultural Foundation, highlighting that “supporting and training young musicians is an inherent part of the Flamenco Promotion work that our foundation carries out.” Last year, The Latin Recording Academy, in collaboration with La Junta de Andalucía, hosted the event Latin GRAMMY Celebra: Paco de Lucía in Cádiz, a tribute to theguitarist that featured the presence of the Andalusian maestro’s family. The event was a journey through Paco de Lucía’s life guided by artists and friends who accompanied him during his lifetime, and performed some of his most beloved songs. Part of the proceeds went to the scholarship. The Paco de Lucía Legacy Scholarship awards a student with extraordinary talent, selected by the Scholarship Committee from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, among a large and highly qualified international group of young musicians. Among other things, consideration is given to whether the winner possesses the qualities and determination necessary to succeed in the music world, while also lacking the financial resources to achieve it. To date, the Foundation has awarded 477 scholarships and has invested almost $13.9 million in scholarships, grants, educational programs and mentorships over the last decade. |
| For additional information or to donate, please visit latingrammyculturalfound
Credit: Fran Santiago/Getty Images for the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation |