32 !!Chapter 3
The purpose of the preceding examples is not to present a tutorial on a
specific project but to demonstrate how to research traditional stylistic ele-
ments, which will help composers accomplish a musical goal. Listening to
examples is the most effective research tool.
The Latin Market
102.6 million: The projected Hispanic population of the United
States as of July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics
will constitute 24% of the nation’s total population by that date.
—U.S. Census BureauMost major clients advertise in the Spanish language and steer their com-
mercials to appeal to various Hispanic cultures. Within the Spanish-speak-
ing communities, many subgroups have specific, cultural mores. This
directly affects the choice of music used in commercials.
Dr. Raul Murciano Jr. is a professor at the University of Miami’s Frost
School of Music. He is an expert in writing music for commercials targeted
for the Spanish-speaking markets. The following is a synopsis of a discus-
sion on this subject.
In the early 1960s, there was a massive exodus of Cubans who moved
to Miami, Florida, as a result of the Cuban Revolution; this exodus contin-
ued for many years. In the past 5 to 10 years, other Spanish-speaking peo-
ple from many countries have also moved to the Miami area (e.g., people
from Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and other Central and South
American countries), but the Cuban population still remains in the
majority.
This presents a problem for composers: How do they choose the style
of music that will appeal to the various cultures and subcultures?
The first concern of the advertising agency is in their choice of voice-
over talent. Each culture has its own idioms and pronunciations that are
indicated by the announcer and/or actors. This is important for a com-
poser to know because it provides the best indication of the target market.
Fortunately, most singers singing in Spanish do not have a specific accent
and therefore sound generic; the one exception is the accent from Spain,
which has a noticeable lisp sound (most British singers also have a generic
accent when singing). Whatisimportant is the tone of the voice. Various
cultures have different styles of singing, which include the tone of voice as
well as the use of melismas (decorative phrases). The composer should
hire singers who sing with the proper tone and style of the particular
country or region being targeted.
The creatives generally specify the rhythm and feel of the music they
desire. As is the case with most Anglo commercials, more often than not,
creatives in the Hispanic market want music that emulates the music cur-
rently being played on Hispanic radio and television stations. If the assign-