Leo Luna Roblejo Receives the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation's Sebastián Yatra Scholarship

The Cuban double bass player will pursue a bachelor's degree at Berklee this fall.

Colette Greenstein

August 9, 2024

Leo Luna Roblejo and Sebastián Yatra — Leo Luna Roblejo (left), recipient of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation's 2024 Prodigy Scholarship, and Sebastián Yatra, Latin Grammy–winning singer-songwriter and this year's scholarship cosponsor.
Image courtesy of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation/John Parra/Getty Images

The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation awarded its Prodigy Scholarship to bass player Leo Luna Roblejo in a special presentation on August 7, in Miami, Florida. The Prodigy Scholarship, cosponsored this year by Latin Grammy–winning singer-songwriter Sebastián Yatra, was created 10 years ago to support music education and Latin music genres.

The ceremony was hosted by award-winning journalist Pamela Silva, and sponsored by Loud And Live as part of its $1 million commitment over five years. Yatra performed alongside Luna Roblejo, as well as additional scholarship recipients and alumni.

The Prodigy Scholarship holds a maximum value of $250,000 and allows Luna Roblejo to pursue a bachelor's degree at Berklee beginning this fall. The scholarship supports the costs of tuition, room, board, and wrap-around services that include ongoing mentorship and learning opportunities provided in partnership with the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.

“Music has been my calling and my passion ever since I was a young child, and to have the opportunity to pursue my dream thanks to the support of Sebastián Yatra and the incredible Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation is beyond anything I could have imagined,” said Luna Roblejo. “I am committed to making you all proud, and I will take full advantage of this opportunity, working hard every day to make the most of this gift.”

Luna Roblejo, who resides in Miami, was selected by the Foundation's Scholarship Committee from a highly competitive group of hundreds of applicants worldwide. Since its establishment, the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation has committed an extraordinary sum of more than $10 million in scholarships, grants, musical instruments, and educational programs throughout the United States and Ibero-America.

“It is with immense pride that we bestow our 10th Prodigy Scholarship as we continue to celebrate a decade of the foundation’s unwavering mission to support and cultivate the next generation of Latin music creators,” said Raquel "Rocky" Egusquiza, executive director of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation. “We are profoundly grateful for the generosity of respected artists such as Sebastián Yatra, that provide these talented musical students the opportunity to follow their dreams and carry forward the rich legacy of Latin music.”

“Being a part of this incredible initiative alongside the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, which supports young people on their journey to fulfill their dreams in music, is an honor,” shared Yatra. “Music has the power to change lives and unite cultures, and I am excited to see how these young people, like Leo, will carry forward the legacy of Latin music with passion and dedication. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to their education and artistic development,” he added.

Previous sponsors include: Nicky Jam (2023), Sofia Carson (2022), Juanes (2021), Julio Iglesias '15H (2020), Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2019), Carlos Vives (2018), Miguel Bosé (2017), Juan Luis Guerra ‘82 (2016) and Enrique Iglesias (2015).

The foundation also announced the recipients of its annual Gifted Tuition, Tuition Assistance, Bulova, and Gibson Gives scholarships—with additional funds from First Horizon and the Arturo Sandoval Institute. Fourteen of the 43 awardees are planning to pursue their education at Berklee.

Through the Tuition Assistance Scholarship, each student will receive a one-time scholarship with a maximum value of $12,500 toward the tuition costs for the university or college of their choice, and includes wrap-around services provided by the foundation. Bulova will sponsor one Tuition Assistance Scholarship and Gibson Gives, Gibson's philanthropic division, will sponsor three Tuition Assistance Scholarships of up to $12,500 each, in addition to a gifted Gibson or Epiphone instrument, for students pursuing a music education with electric or acoustic guitar as their principal instrument:

The 14 recipients attending Berklee include: