VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

jrodriguez315 · Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:57 pm Post subject:

Thank you all so much for the feedback. Some of it was really funny. Lou, you killed me.

I received some feedback from the potential client. The campaign is running in Texas and they said my accent is more East Coast. I guess my Spanish is not as neutral I thought.

Thanks again for the many kind words. I needed that.
_________________
Joe Rodriguez, Bilingual Voice Actor | The Voiceover Thespian Blog

Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:30 pm Post subject:

Andy_Quiñones · Guest

Joe,

Suenan "chevere" mi pana....

I'll be perking my ears for them on the airwaves over here in the DF/W area and if I'm driving I'll jump out of the car and scream at the first stranger while pointing at the radio "Hey! I know that guy--he's telling the troof!!"

On a serious note Joe, and this coming from a native New Yorker and fellow "Boricua" whose been living in Texas for over two decades and who struggled to rid himself of that east coast Latin accent (although it comes out whenever I get overly excited), yes there is an ever so slight bit of an east coast trace in there.

That being said, I keep hearing Southern Latin Floridian Spanish accents in some of the regional spots over here so one has to figure.

Maybe it is because the national TV Spanish hosts sound like that?

Univision is a Cuban-American Corp?

jrodriguez315 · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 12:06 pm Post subject:

Andy,

Muchisimas gracias mi amigo!

Thanks so much for the feedback. I appreciate it. So do you have a Texan accent now when you peak-a da panish? Can you dub John Wayne movies in Spanish now? (just kidding)

In order to sound less east coast, what specific sounds should I focus on or is it more of the cadence?

Yeah, I hear announcers on Univision all the time that sound very Mexican to my ear. There is a certain music to the way they speak that we don't really have here in NY.

Thanks again!
_________________
Joe Rodriguez, Bilingual Voice Actor | The Voiceover Thespian Blog

melissa eX · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:14 pm Post subject:

Andy, Telemundo I believe is Cuban-American. Or has a large Cuban influence.

Hijole, I also thought los takes de mi cuate Joe salieron padrissimos! But they do have a touch of east coast Boricua.

Joe, a lot of the anchors and announcers you hear on Univision are Mexican. Many came from Televisa. Univision and Televisa have been breaking up and getting back together for years. I can't keep it straight any longer on how much of Univision Televisa owns at any given moment. Most programming on Univision either comes out of Televisa or is a Televisa/Venevision (Venezuela) co-production.

All of this probably more than you wanted to know Rolls Eyes

And it is a cadence - it differs in different areas tho' and among different social classes. Aside from the news watch the Mexican soaps. You can learn all you need there!

jrodriguez315 · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:03 am Post subject:

I have a friend who is a Salsa bass player. Whenever he goes out to California, he comes back with that sing-song Mexican cadence in his speech. I guess the best way to get it is to immerse yourself in it.

So Melissa, do you have any tips on how to get rid of a NY accent in either Spanish or English? Apparently I have it in both.

p.s. I heard you the other day on my way home from the day job, on NJ 101.5 during the Jersey Guys show doing a traffic report. I was like "oh! I know her!!" So cool!
_________________
Joe Rodriguez, Bilingual Voice Actor | The Voiceover Thespian Blog

melissa eX · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:39 pm Post subject:

You hit it on the head Joe, immerse yourself in it. I lived in Mexico City for almost 10 years so that's how THAT stuck.

Suggestions? I don't know - I would tape the newscasts, the national ones - they're sort of 'broadcast neutral'. Listen back and work on getting that sound.

Seriously, you might want to watch some of the soaps - if you watch the contemporary Mexican ones you'll also pick up a lot of the current colloquialisms - a lot of them make their way into speech here. (I keep hearing 'güey' in commericals here. And considering the largest 'Hispanic' group in the US is Mexican, it can't hurt. (Just make sure you learn the right ones - LOL!)

And frankly I don't know any man, whether he speaks Spanish or not who can keep his eyes off of the soaps when they're on a TV in the room. They're just so......so........Oh just watch them!

(NJ101.5 is a great station - I enjoy them - I like all of my stations - some I have real blast on. I'm lucky, I'm one of those people who really enjoys the day job! And you can't beat the hours! )

Andy_Quiñones · Guest

Joe, let me restate that your deliveries in those two takes are just superb acting.

The ever so slight nuances that hint at an “east coast” accent are only noticeable by nitpicking ears (like mine) in the very minutest inflections of just some of the phrases.

Other than that bro, there is absolutely nothing wrong with your two takes—I’m a huge fan of your work.

In the Spanish version of Yahoo chats, under “artes y entretenimiento/ Poesias,” Spanish speakers from all over the world quite often take turns doing live open mic readings which I have found most helpful.

It was there that I befriended many Spanish writers, actors and particularly a very popular and widely published Venezuelan poet and editor, Leo Zelada.

Leo has been very generous with his time and gave me one on one language diction lessons which were just priceless.

In return, I translated and recorded several of his poetry collections in both languages which he later published in Spain.

Another person from whom I’ve learned to correct my Spanish diction from is my cousin the actor, singer, and producer, Domingo Quiñones, since we both grew up in Jersey and have had to overcome similar bad Spanish speaking habits.

Maybe Melissa will clarify this, but I am under the impression that the “neutral-non accented Spanish” is more closely associated with the one widely spoken in Venezuela—is this correct?

jrodriguez315 · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:50 pm Post subject:

Wow Andy, thank you so much for the kind words. I appreciate it. May God send me many fat-walleted clients that agree with your assessment of my skills.

So, is your cousin still in Jersey? I live in Jersey so maybe he can help me with my Spanish diction as well.

There is only 1 guy I've heard of who teaches a VO class in Spanish in NYC through HOLA. His name is Manuel Herrera, but his classes start at 6:30 sharp and it's next to impossible for me to get into the City that quickly after work.

Man I have got to move closer to NY!
_________________
Joe Rodriguez, Bilingual Voice Actor | The Voiceover Thespian Blog

melissa eX · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:15 pm Post subject:

Andy, Domingo Quinones is your cousin? Great salsero.