Sierralta Entertainment Launches Music Talent Format Voces de la Calle, Distributed by Caracol Televisión

Voces de la Calle, a new format created and produced by Sierralta Entertainment in Spain and distributed by Caracol Televisión, emerged from producer Miguel Sierralta’s dream of creating a music talent show under his production company, Sierralta Entertainment.

“I have always had a dream as a producer of having a talent show because I love music. My wife is a singer. I have managed singers. I always dreamed of having a format that was musical as part of our production company,” Sierralta told PRODU.

The opportunity arose last year when Sierralta and his team developed a different and distinctive music format. He explains that two years earlier he had produced the documentary Invisibles, about people living on the streets, which inspired him to create Voces de la Calle, focusing primarily on artists who perform on the streets.

Sandra García-Sanjuán of Starlite Occident; singer-songwriter Román Mosteiro; Miguel Sierralta, producer and creator; French singer Innocence; and Mexican presenter Óscar Madrazo.

“The format began when we went out looking for the first talents, together with a host. The team goes out and finds people on the street, we watch them, and if we like what we see, we invite them,” he explained.

They subsequently held a casting call that attracted more than 350 people, including street performers and others who had performed on the streets at some point. “We started this format in our studio. We recorded 120 auditions, from which we produced 26 half-hour programs, eight semifinals and a grand finale,” Sierralta noted.

Sandra García-Sanjuán of Starlite Occident; singer-songwriter Román Mosteiro; Miguel Sierralta, producer and creator; French singer Innocence; and Mexican presenter Óscar Madrazo

Sierralta serves as head of the jury. In the first season, he was joined by Sandra García-Sanjuán, CEO of the Starlite Festival – Canary Islands; Spanish opera singer Ainhoa Arteta; Spanish singer Marilia (Ella Baila Sola); Mexican presenter Óscar Madrazo; Spanish dancer Rafael Amargo; Venezuelan singing coach and singer Edith Salazar; Spanish lyrical singer María Rodríguez; French singer Innocence; Colombian music manager David Padierna; Venezuelan actress and singer Alicia Banquez; and Spanish marketing manager Gemma Sánchez.

The hosts of the Voces de la Calle finale, held at Sala Galileo Galilei in Madrid, were Spanish actress and singer Lorena Gómez and Spanish singer Juan Peña. Rebeca Liscano conducted the interviews for the special gala program.

The finalists’ songs were composed by Jorge Aguilar, while the Voces de la Calle theme song was composed by Aguilar and Adrián Solla. The song is performed by Alicia Banquez.

Sierralta emphasizes that Voces de la Calle is a 360-degree program because, in addition to the pay-TV channel Show Business The Channel and YouTube, they also livestreamed on TikTok and Instagram.

Gisela Quiroz (Special Mention)

He says the experience has been incredible because “people connected with it tremendously through virality. It was incredible because when we launched the program, with an Instagram account that had barely 2,600 followers, the voting response was impressive,” he said.

Winners of the First Season

-First finalist: Mayiriel (Venezuelan)

-Second finalist: Dreah (Spanish)

-Third finalist: Adib (Lebanese)

-Special Mention: Gisela Quiroz (Spanish)

FORMAT DESIGNED TO BE EASY TO PRODUCE

More than 500 artists participate in the talent search, from whom 90 are selected for 15 casting programs. The jury then preselects 30 talents. Public voting follows, with the 15 most viral contestants advancing, while the jury selects five additional contestants.

This is followed by a special coaching program with experts in music, production, image and performance. The 20 semifinalists share their interviews and personal stories, followed by four semifinal programs. Only eight contestants make it to the grand finale, where three top finalists and one overall winner emerge.

“The format is proving very popular because it has an important social component. That is a key differentiator from other talent shows. These young people come from the streets: they perform in the Metro, in plazas and also in bars. There are others who sing in Madrid but have no visibility and have never had an opportunity. So this is the opportunity of their lives because, for example, one of the Spanish winners sings in the Metro, and her singing style is very similar to Niña Pastori’s. Her dream was to perform at a festival like Starlite in front of an audience of 3,000 people,” Sierralta said.

Asked about the format’s advantages, Sierralta emphasized that it is “easy to produce and the cost is right because you are buying the bible. It is a very clear format: in every country in the world, there are people singing on the streets, people who have dreams related to music. It is not a complicated format, and even a small channel can produce it.”

Among the prizes awarded to the winners is the opportunity to participate in the Starlite Festival, “which is anyone’s dream. In addition, we produce a song for each of the three finalists, along with a strong digital launch and TV commercials on our Show Business The Channel, which is available in nearly 20 million homes across the Americas,” Sierralta said.

He recalled that Show Business The Channel, distributed regionally by MBA Networks, is the show’s second screen after YouTube. It is available through numerous pay-TV operators, including izzi and TotalPlay in Mexico; Tigo; and Intercable and Simple TV in Venezuela, among others. It is also available through 52 stations across Spain belonging to Grupo Cadena Media.

Through format distributor Caracol Televisión, the show is already being presented in markets such as Colombia and El Salvador. In Venezuela, Sierralta plans to produce the format directly, possibly with Televen.

“In Miami, we are producing a pilot to present it to television and ViX for now. We are currently preparing the second season, with the talent search in Spain taking place in November,” he added.

He also noted that in Italy they are already negotiating with a producer interested in acquiring the format for local production.

STARLITE FOUNDATION AND SIERRALTA PRODUCE DOCUMENTARY SUPPORTING THE INITIATIVE

Sierralta said that, in parallel, they have been producing a 90-minute Voces de la Calle documentary with the Starlite Foundation and Sandra García-Sanjuán. The documentary is directed by Daniel Landa (Un Mundo Aparte for National Geographic; Pacífico; Atlántico; and Invisibles), a highly recognized documentary director, writer and screenwriter in Spain. Catherina Cardozo is Sierralta Entertainment’s production director.

“Ten Voces de la Calle talents were selected to tell their stories, also as part of what the brand represents. We are going to present it at festivals and to platforms. Starlite Occident is a co-producer. In the documentary, viewers will see what they go through, what they suffer and their dreams. The documentary is incredible,” he said.

Sierralta says the documentary will be available on platforms. It is currently in post-production, and its official trailer will be presented during Premios Juventud on Thursday, September 3, from the auditorium of the Starlite Marbella Festival in Andalusia, Spain.

He said they are thrilled with the format because, in addition to being “beautiful, it is very motivational. The interviews with the finalists connect with their stories. It has a powerful emotional component. It is a format that transforms the lives of those who take part in the project. The stories behind these musicians are also important. Many — let’s say 80% or 70% — are immigrants from different countries in Latin America and Europe.

“There are also many Spaniards who in some way feel like immigrants because they are not from Madrid; they come from outside Madrid. For them, it is an opportunity to share their story — their musical and personal stories — which sometimes they cannot do in the Metro or in other spaces that do not allow them to present themselves as artists,” he concluded.

Summary of the Voces de la Calle Grand Finale

Official Voces de la Calle Song

Alex Javier is another contestant from the first season of Voces de la Calle