His voice was incorporated into the list of Latin American voices in the transit and navigation application acquired by Google.
“We are ready, drive with caution!”, A kind and spontaneous female voice alerts with emotion, seconds before starting the route marked in Waze. It is about the voice of the Ecuadorian Sol Betancourt, Ecuadorian commercial and radio announcer that from now on guides passersby or drivers from anywhere in the world to their destination.
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“Beyond being a personal achievement in my career as an Ecuadorian broadcaster, I think it is also a triumph as a country, because to be able to say that an Ecuadorian voice is in this worldwide application is something very cool, as an Ecuadorian flag”, expresses the Quito.
He considers it a great opportunity to carry out the profession in the country. “Being an announcer is a pretty beautiful profession, but it has also been difficult here in Ecuador, because the voice profession is not so visible. The voices are not so visible after making a commercial … So, I think that the voice artists are already taking the flag “, he maintains.
He claims that Ecuadorians living in other countries, such as Australia, Qatar, Vietnam, Chile, Brazil, write or tag him saying that they have downloaded the application or that they have configured it with their voice. “It’s nice because they say it’s like having a piece of Ecuador … or that hearing an Ecuadorian voice makes them feel here. It is a very enriching experience, I feel very happy “, expresses.
In fact, she has already set up her Waze herself. “I find it very strange to drive with my own voice”he says between laughs. To choose your voice, you must access the following options in the application: Settings, Voice and Sound, Waze Voice, Search Spanish (Latin America) Sol Betancourt.
Throughout his career – which has been in radio, television and music for 21 years – Betancourt has knocked on many doors. She says that this contract with Waze was given in a fluid way, since the person from Waze Ecuador (first filter) who contacted her for the first casting I knew her thanks to her project 1 minute of stories. “From there the conversations took place with a person who was in Israel (…). They explained to me how they wanted the tone of the recording. That is, they directed me to a tone of voice that is not robotic, but more natural”, he reports.
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In the same way, they clarified the technical indications that all the recordings had to comply with, which in total corresponded to 70 lines. “I came to the help of Adrian Khalife, who is a very good Ecuadorian announcer, whom I have a lot of confidence in because, apart from being an announcer, he is an audio producer. So I recorded in his studio and he led me through this whole technical part, “he says.
This news opens her professional year and motivates her to continue preparing for more goals. “One of my big dreams in voice over is the narration of documentaries. I am also studying dubbing … I am working very hard to raise the name of Ecuador “, mentions.
His love for the locution
Betancourt confesses that each piece that airs is like one more son. “Each piece is important, each radio spot that is on the air excites me (…), each job that is done with love excites me … Time passes and everything continues to excite me the same or even more, because over time you discover more tones, more voices and you even impress yourself …”, he says.
The commercial locution started in 2018, after attending a speech congress in Mexico, where he met several professionals from whom he had only heard his voice. Then, on his return to Ecuador, he began to record for local brands; And when listening to the finished product, he only confirmed what his heart already dictated over time: “I said ‘this is my way, this is what I like’, I love it”.
It emphasizes that it is not enough to have a nice and beautiful voice, so it encourages constant preparation. “You have to know that there are techniques to speak well, to convey a message in a good way. It is not easy to sit down, talk, modulate, transmit the message that a client wants to give to their potential clients and buyers, or someone who wants their services “, he points out.
So, in addition, take care of your voice day by day. “I take great care of the cold, of cold drinks, of ice; I don’t smoke, usually I don’t eat before recording, and I try to stay hydrated “, he says and tells that he is working against a sequel left by COVID that does not allow him to put much air into the diaphragm.
He refers that in Ecuador there is great potential working from the world of voice. “I have colleagues who are really wonderful, there are incredible radio announcers, there are commercial announcers who are first class, there are dubbing revelations that are causing a sensation.. There is a lot of voice talent in Ecuador, which I hope this year will be more visible ”. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
