Berklee Graduate Pursues Music Dreams in Los Angeles, Lands Song in Khloé Kardashian Series
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Elena "Tuta" de Elía, daughter of journalists, has achieved her dream of working in the music industry in Los Angeles after studying music composition and production at Berklee College of Music.
- She recently had a song she co-wrote included in Khloé Kardashian's new series, "The Girls."
- De Elía also co-leads a musical duo called Tuja with a North American friend, blending Spanish and English lyrics.
Elena "Tuta" de Elía, daughter of prominent journalists María Laura Santillán and Carlos de Elía, is living her dream in Los Angeles, working in the music industry after graduating with honors from Berklee College of Music. She pursued two degrees simultaneously: Songwriting and Independent Recording & Production.
De Elía's musical journey has already seen significant milestones. Recently, a song she co-wrote with Iggie Yixin, titled "SUDAR," was selected for inclusion in the new Khloé Kardashian series, "The Girls," set to premiere in Argentina on Disney+. The song was created at the request of a company that produces music for television shows.
We made the song at the request of a company that creates music for the series – among many others. And recently they informed us by email that they were going to include it.
After her studies in Boston, de Elía moved to Los Angeles, a hub for recording studios and the global pop industry. At just 24 years old, she is composing, producing, and editing music for others while also developing her own material. She is part of a duo named Tuja with her North American friend Jasper, blending Spanish and English in their music.
De Elía met Jasper, who has a knack for languages, during a class. Their shared passion for music, particularly Emilia Mernes's songs, sparked a friendship that evolved into a musical project. They both moved to Los Angeles in 2024 for internships, with de Elía working at a studio associated with The Weeknd's main producer. Their collaboration began there, leading to the creation of their first Spanglish song.
He knows Emilia Mernes's songs by heart. I thought it was a miracle. – Without any connection to Latin culture... – Exactly. When I saw him, I said: 'He has to be my friend.'
Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.