Dr. Romy Martínez, a Paraguayan singer, lecturer, and multilingual ethnomusicologist, has received international recognition from the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation. She is one of six winners of the 2025 Latin Music Research and Preservation Grant Programme. The programme will distribute a total of US$30,000 through six grants. These grants support projects dedicated to the research and preservation of Latin music.
Dr. Martínez completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Cultural Diplomacy at Leiden University College in the Netherlands. She undertook her studies through the National Scholarship Programme “Carlos Antonio López” (BECAL).
Celebrating 100 years of Guarania
The research grant awarded to the Paraguayan scholar recognises her project, “Guarania in Translation: From Paraguay to Europe Through Music and Language.” The initiative commemorates the centenary of Guarania, the Paraguayan musical genre created in 1925 by composer José Asunción Flores. Moreover, in 2024, UNESCO recognised Guarania as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
According to the Foundation, Dr. Romy Martínez aims to preserve and promote Guarania internationally. Through concerts, academic research, and intercultural collaboration across Northern Europe, she aims to engage new audiences in multicultural and multilingual spaces. The project seeks to ensure that Guarania remains a living tradition while building cultural bridges beyond Paraguay’s borders.
Supporting the future of Latin music
“Research and preservation allow us to keep the pulse of Latin music alive by safeguarding its stories, rhythms, and cultural roots for future generations,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Foundation, in a statement published on its website.
The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation is a charitable organisation established by The Latin Recording Academy. Its mission is to advance music education and empower communities through Latin music and culture.
For Paraguay, Dr. Romy Martínez’s achievement represents both an academic milestone and a powerful reminder of the global resonance of Guarania. a genre born in Asunción that continues to inspire audiences around the world.
