The country’s leading competitive grant program for music creation will allocate ¢20 million to strengthen national culture

Every year, thousands of songs are created in Costa Rica, but their reach is very limited due to the lack of financial support they receive.

This year, Semilla Sonora, the country’s leading competitive grant program for music creation, aims to change that reality by providing funding to 17 music projects to help them bring their initiatives to fruition.

This initiative is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCJ), the Parque La Libertad Foundation, and the Association of Composers and Songwriters of Costa Rica (ACAM).

For the 2026 edition, ¢20 million was allocated; half is funded by the MCJ and the other half by ACAM.

This year, a total of 165 applications were received between March 16 and April 14. Of these, 16 were in the Composition category, 90 in the Unreleased Album Production category, and 59 in the Unreleased Single Production category. From among all these, 17 winners were selected to receive financial support.

“It’s a seed that allows artists to create, but also helps people discover what Costa Rican artists are doing—so that seed can begin to sprout and we can reconnect,” said Jorge Rodríguez, Minister of Culture and Youth.

Last year, 249 proposals were received, and only 15 were awarded.

From ancestral instruments to the marimba

Among those selected are composers who work with ancestral instruments, others who blend sounds from different continents, and some who reinterpret the marimba through a contemporary lens.

Oscar Jiménez, winner in the Experimental Composition with Indigenous Instruments category for Guacalito Parrandero, commented that this is a recognition for all Costa Rican music, which should be valued as a profession.

“It is important to value music as a craft, as a job, as a profession. A composer should be recognized socially and economically just like a lawyer or an engineer,” Jiménez noted.

Similarly, Zihany Fonseca, winner in the Contemporary Classical Music Composition category for her song *Los Guardianes del Iztarú*, noted that such platforms were needed to support the national music scene, as the talent has always been there.

“Costa Rica has always had an abundance of talent. What was missing were spaces like these where composers can not only win a competition but also showcase our music and measure ourselves against the competition. That’s what helps the country’s music industry grow,” added Fonseca.

Finally, Daniel Garrigues, who won the award in the Contemporary Classical Music Composition for Duet category with the piece “Reflejos para dos marimbas,” expressed his happiness about what this means for the future of the profession due to the visibility it brings.

“It’s a great incentive because it highlights the tremendous amount of high-quality work that many colleagues are doing across different genres, branches, and musical styles,” concluded Garrigues.

The Importance of a Musical Identity

The Minister of Culture explained that this fund arose from the need to support music and promote the consumption of national music. He noted that, previously, funding was available for dance, theater, and other disciplines, but not for music.

“Costa Rica has less than 3% of its music represented in radio programming and on mass-market platforms like Spotify and others. It is one of the countries with the lowest consumption of its own national music,” he noted.

In this regard, the minister indicated that it is important to forge an identity with current musical trends, since while we are familiar with Costa Rica’s musical history, that momentum has waned in recent years.

“We can clearly recall Costa Rican music from the 1970s—there were Abracadabra and Gaviota; in the 1980s, Chiqui Chiqui; in the 1990s, Pato Barraza and Tango India; and the 2000s were a time when so many things emerged. Now we have to rediscover ourselves,” he explained.

In addition, Rodríguez stated that the fund holds significant meaning because investing in support for creators is investing in the country’s memory, diversity, and cultural future.

“A country is not defined solely by what it produces, but also by what it creates. Every song, every work, and every composition born in Costa Rica expands our cultural identity and leaves a legacy for future generations,” the minister added.

A Law to Promote Domestic Music

To support domestic musicians, Rodríguez plans to introduce a bill that would require national radio stations to play Costa Rican music.

“We are going to propose amendments to the law so that Costa Rican music is mandatorily played on all radio stations and frequencies in Costa Rica. And I can say this outright: it’s going to happen, and it’s going to happen very soon,” he said.

The minister noted that he is aware of the criticism the bill will receive. However, he argued that there is a wide variety of national music that can be played on every radio station.