Reality TV > Latin Idol is getting its big break
October 24, 2006
Content taken from TV.com:
If music and TV producers have learned anything from the success of the Idol franchise, it's that the world's next pop phenomenon could be found in any corner of the globe.
Even in Latin America, where the inaugural winner of Latin American Idol will be announced during a live broadcast on Thursday from Buenos Aires. The show, which premiered in July on Sony Entertainment Television, airs in 24 countries throughout the Caribbean and the Americas, except Brazil.
Ten finalists representing five Latin countries have been competing for the title--and the lucrative Sony BMG recording contract that comes with it.
The all-female finale will pit leggy Venezuelan Mayre Martinez against soulful Argentine Noelia Soto, with viewers from throughout the region calling and text-messaging their votes. Already, plans for a second season are in the works.
"The feedback has been spectacular. To start on this level is great, and the idea is to improve each season," says Sergio Pizzolante, VP and general manager of Sony Pictures Entertainment Networks Latin America.
The project was an ambitious and risky one. Whereas there are more than 30 country-specific versions of the show that air worldwide, Latin American Idol culls talent from a pool of more than 350 million people.
The 10 finalists were chosen from more than 25,000 hopefuls who showed up for open auditions in four regional capitals: Mexico City, Caracas, Bogota, and Buenos Aires.
Of course, what is Idol without the judges? The aspiring superstars have had to work hard to impress the three seasoned veterans behind the desk.
Cuban crooner Jon Secada, Mexican singer Elizabeth Meza, and Puerto Rican producer Gustavo Sanchez have each enjoyed international success in the music biz.
While the feisty formula employed by Randy, Paula, and Simon on Fox's American Idol has undoubtedly been one of the reasons for that show's success in the United States, the Latin judges keep the bickering to a minimum and even--gasp!--seem to like each other.
"The nature of Latino culture is very passionate and very endearing, and that comes across in our show," Secada says.
To the contestants, the threesome are encouraging, often to a fault, preferring to focus on the positive aspects of the performances. But that's not to say it's all lovey-dovey. The burly and bilingual Sanchez gets sarcastic and salty at times and likes to pepper his critiques with English and Spanish slang.
"If you're not yourself, people don't believe it," Sanchez says. "Simon Cowell is so powerful because he is who he is. He's not pretending, and neither am I. That's the secret."
As per the Idol blueprint, most tunes performed on the show are covers of Spanish pop songs and tear-jerking ballads.
These reality-style music competition shows are nothing new to the Spanish-speaking world. While shows like Operacion Triunfo and Escalera a la Fama have done well in their local markets, once the shows are over, it has been hard for the winners to sustain a career.
"Look at Kelly Clarkson and the other American Idol winners. They've sold like 35 million albums. If we miss the opportunity to turn our 'idol' into a huge star in the region, well then we've basically done nothing," Pizzolante says.
There has been criticism that the idiosyncrasies that make each country unique get filtered out, a claim that producers and contestants deny.
"I think it's impossible for us to lose our identities as people and as singers," says 22-year-old finalist Soto, who cites Mariah Carey, David Bisbal, and Shakira as her musical idols. "The fact that we all speak the same language, but with a different accent and style, makes the show even more fun."
It also brings out a sense of national pride.
"I'm so proud to be here and represent Colombia," says 20-year-old Isa Mosquera, who was the third finalist eliminated. "It's an unbelievable and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
