
Berklee Artists Collaborate on Song for Grammy-Nominated Album Marianna Matyja and V ctor Badillo B.M. '22 contributed to Lupita Infante's Amor Como En Las Pel culas De Antes, which is up for Best M sica Mexicana Album.
By
Daniel Pesquera
November 30, 2023
Marianna Matyja
Image courtesy of the artist
Numerous members of the Berklee community, both alumni and faculty, received 2024 Grammy nominations or were recognized for their contributions to Grammy-nominated projects. Among them, two standout artists received their first Grammy acknowledgments: student Marianna Matyja, a cellist, producer, DJ, songwriter, and composer; and V ctor Badillo B.M. '22, a producer, songwriter, arranger, and artist.
The duo, who are frequent collaborators, contributed to Lupita Infantes Amor Como En Las Pel culas De Antes, which is up for Best M sica Mexicana Album. Matyja played a cello solo on one of the album's standout tracks, El Amor Perfecto, and Badillo produced and engineered the solo. Badillo also worked on the songs Bailando Penas and Esta Ranchera, on Flor de Tololoche's album Motherflower, which is nominated in the same category.
Matyja, from Poznan, Poland, is a contemporary writing and production major whose first album is set for release this spring. Badillo is an independent producer and songwriter originally from Mexico City who earned his degree in music production and engineering. Hes worked alongside many notable Latin artists in his young career, including Mon Laferte, Grupo Duelo, Man Jalil, and ureo Baqueiro.
We talked to Matyja and Badillo to hear how a small recording project produced a much bigger moment.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
How did each of you get involved in these Grammy-nominated projects?Marianna Matyja: I got involved in the spring of 2022 during my second semester at Berklee. We were in V ctor's apartment recording cello parts for different projects, and he asked me to record for El Amor Perfecto. At the time, I didn't realize who it was for or how big a project it would be.
V ctor Badillo: I was invited to participate in Lupita's album by producer Carlos Alvarez. He was producing some mariachi tracks on the album, and he wanted another perspective to give the traditional genre a modern pop twist. I introduced steel-string guitars and cello to the arrangement, and that's where I got Marianna to record strings for me. I played and recorded all the guitars on the track. With Flor De Tololoche's album, I have a friend in Mexico City who asked me for a writing session to specifically create a cumbia and a ranchera. We managed to merge the traditional aspects of both genres and the more catchy R&B melodies from the band.
V ctor Badillo B.M. '22
Image courtesy of the artist
What were your initial thoughts when you heard the albums were nominated for a Grammy?Badillo: It was a surprise, but both albums were done by hardworking people and talented creators. It was an honor and a well-deserved recognition for the whole team that participated.
Matyja: I never expected my first Grammy would be for cello on a Mexican music album! The way that it happened was unusual. Last May, Victor told me the album might be nominated for a Latin Grammy, but then in September, he let me know we didn't get any nominations. I told him it was okay, and I felt like there was a bigger thing coming, but at the time I didnt even think about the American Grammys. Recently, I was having a Zoom meeting when Victor called me. He said to go look at Instagram-I couldn't believe it. I started screaming into the phone! I am still shocked and am so grateful. I feel very satisfied because cello is the first thing I touched with music, and I've been playing since I was 6 years old.
Can each of you talk about your mindset as you approached these projects?Badillo: In every creative process I've been involved in, I always keep in mind the artistic vision of the project and the essence of the artists. We want to do something different and creative, but without losing the essence of the original vision.
Matyja: Of course it depends on the person I'm working with. With Victor, he knows that I know what to do when it comes to recording a song. For El Amor Perfecto, at first I was analyzing the feeling and what I could add to make it more colorful. I remember thinking I had to put a lot of expression and energy into it because it's a love song. It's hard to describe the emotions when you're giving your heart to it; you feel the playing, emotion, and music all happening together-it came naturally as I worked on the emotional aspect of it. I usually like to work fast, but I took my time with this part. I remember saying, No, another one. I was determined to play every note perfectly from the technical side and to make sure that it reflected how I imagined it emotionally.
Can you talk about the personal impact this nomination has had on your life and career, particularly for you, Matyja, as an international student?Matyja: It's hard to put into words what this means for me. Poland is a very important country with a beautiful history, and I'm glad that I'm from a country like this because it taught me a lot about life. As a classically trained musician for 12 years, I experienced mental and verbal abuse from when I started playing at 6 years old. Very often I was told I am bad at my instrument and I had to work more. I was away from home for over 13 hours a day. It felt like my life was my music and I was a machine in a box. It put me in a cycle of thoughts that I was never enough. My parents asked me many times if I wanted to change schools, but I never agreed to it because music education was important to me. I was fortunate to have parents who were extremely supportive and bel
North America Stories
04/06/2026
Sony Electronics is introducing the SRG-AS10, a 4K 60p-compatible PTZ auto-frami...
04/06/2026
This recent grad from Spring, TX, led creative-video output for the Aggies' men's basketball team last season and has been producing video and creating ...
04/06/2026
For the first time at a women's golf major, every player in the field will r...
04/06/2026
Three Panasonic PT-RQ45 40,000-lumen 3-Chip DLP projectors made their first live...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin and Akamai have announced a collaboration with NRJ Group, a French mult...
04/06/2026
Telestream will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7952), demonstrating media work...
04/06/2026
Sony has announced the development of RIALTO 65, a 65mm format image sensor block for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, targeting release in the first half of...
04/06/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N8025, June ...
04/06/2026
Bell Media's TSN and RDS are the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of FIFA Wor...
04/06/2026
The Challenge: Receiving Heavy Media Files From Road Games Quickly and ReliablyT...
04/06/2026
MASV, a managed file transfer platform used in broadcast and live sports product...
04/06/2026
NESN has announced the appointment of Fahad Haider as Vice President of Operations and Engineering. Haider returns to NESN, where he previously served as Vice P...
04/06/2026
David J. Halberstam, who spent almost 50 years in sports as a broadcaster and an executive, died June 2 after a years-long battle with brain cancer.
Over his l...
04/06/2026
Although collegiate production programs are tasked with delivering high-quality ...
04/06/2026
California studio, two production trucks, global distribution system are combine...
04/06/2026
New global program empowers and supports storytellers through scriptwriting course and access to industry experts
TikTok and Sundance Institute today announce...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming infrastructure, and Akamai, the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business onli...
04/06/2026
American Underground (AU), the Startup Hub of the South and a community of mor...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
NVIDIA and Microsoft Reinvent Windows PCs for the Age of Personal AI
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
RTX Spark - a 1-Petaflop Superchip, the Full...
04/06/2026
Inside the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Grade
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Simone Grattarola discusses shaping the look in DaVinci Resolve...
04/06/2026
Cine Gear Expo Announces 2026 Awards of Excellence Recipients
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Ed Lachman ASC, Caleb Deschanel ASC, and M. David M...
04/06/2026
St. Vincents Live with Orchestra Tour to Feature Berklee Alum Ruby Plume Berklee alumni St. Vincent and Ruby Plume will appear on the same bill across seven d...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
All the Truth in My Lies Coming to Netflix on August 28
Entertainment
04 June 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Download the imag...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Larry Tanz, VP of Content, EMEA, Delivers a Keynote Speech at ...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Turn Your Living Room into a Stadium With the New FIFA World ...
04/06/2026
Keeping conversations real on LinkedIn Published on Jun 4, 2026 Categories: Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Share
LinkedIn
Facebook ...
04/06/2026
June's forecast with GeForce NOW: 100% chance of gaming.
GeForce NOW is lining up new adventures for the month, from big-name blockbusters to quirky indies...
03/06/2026
SES and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, have launched multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity on Viva's Airbus aircraft. A total of 60 A320s ...
03/06/2026
The College Football Playoff, ESPN, and TNT Sports have announced kick times and...
03/06/2026
RED Digital Cinema will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 (Booth 33, June 5-6, Universal Studios Lot), hosting three panels and hands-on product demonstrations.
P...
03/06/2026
Roku has announced the Soccer Zone, a dedicated hub for FIFA World Cup 2026 content available across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argent...
03/06/2026
Liverpool FC and Wasabi Technologies have announced a multi-year extension of their partnership, with Wasabi continuing as the club's official cloud storage...
03/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced that Australian News Channel (ANC), operator of Sky News Australia, has deployed Grass Valley AMPP as part of the relocation of its n...
03/06/2026
The Riedel Group has announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel Networks. She succeeds Michael Martens, who has led Riedel Networks since 201...
03/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the deployment of its intercom solutions at Itaka Arena ...
03/06/2026
Scott Coker has announced six senior executive appointments for his new global MMA promotion, which launched earlier this year with $60 million in financing. Ad...
03/06/2026
Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup 2026, has announced its digital and social media programming for the tournament, running Ju...
03/06/2026
The Bundesliga has announced the launch of Captain, an AI assistant built into t...
03/06/2026
Anthony James Partners (AJP) is serving as technology consultant for a moderniza...
03/06/2026
Audio-Technica has announced the recipients of its annual sales rep firm awards for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The awards were presented by Jim Schanz, Executive ...