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Hire Middle Eastern and North African / MENA Voiceover Artists

September 27, 2023 by Blue Wave Voiceover

At Blue Wave Voiceover we’re focused on elevating authentic voices from the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) community. If you’re thinking about hiring a MENA voice actor but need more information for clarity and to get your message to the right audience, you’re in the right place.

Who is MENA?

The federal government has historically categorized people who have origins in the Middle East and North Africa as “white” although they don’t identify with the white experience. This can lead to underrepresentation. According to this PBS News Hour article, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines “white” as anyone with origins in Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. For decades, representatives from this community have called for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to be recognized as a new category in the United States Census to inform funding, gain access to research, allocate resources, and develop policies to serve the MENA community.

Middle East Diversity

Elizabeth Saydah, MENA Voiceover Artist

Spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa, the Middle East comprises countries that represent a diversity of languages, religions, and cultural traditions. Over the past years, the Middle East has witnessed an expansion of their political presence in the United States, embracing its heritage while actively engaging in global affairs. As the world becomes even more interconnected, its impact on pop culture, politics, and language continues to grow and leave a lasting impact on American culture.

The Middle East region is comprised of countries and a British Overseas Territory that vary in size, population, and cultural heritage including Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. As the birthplace of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, these faith traditions have strongly influenced Middle Eastern history and culture.

Arabic is the primary language in the Middle East and includes various dialects spoken in different countries. Additional languages include Hebrew, Turkish, and Kurdish.

North Africa consists of Libya, Tunisia, Mauritania, Algeria, and Morocco. Arabic is the dominant language though French, English, and Amazigh are also common depending on the country.

MENA immigration to America

According to a 2018 report, the Arab American Institution Foundation estimated the Arab American speaking population at more than 3.6 million people in the US. The first wave of migration began in the 1880’s when immigrants brought and shared their culture, traditions, food, and perspectives. The second wave of migration came following political turmoil including the effects of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Then the passing of the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1965 brought a third wave of MENA immigrants to the US.

Like many immigrant communities, motivations for moving to the United States include seeking economic opportunity to pursue a better life for themselves and for their families. In addition, political turmoil and civil unrest in their countries have prompted many to seek refuge here with the promise of freedom and hope. A report from the Migration Policy Institute noted that close to 30 percent of immigrants from the MENA region live in California or Michigan.

MENA Voting Power in America

According to a report from the Arab American Institute, 40% of Arab Americans surveyed identify as Democrat compared to the 24% who identify as Republicans. In states with large Arab-American populations like Michigan, California, and New York, the community has become a large voting bloc with significant voting power to influence outcomes in local, state, and national elections.

Candidates have spoken on issues that resonate with the Arab-American community including immigration reform and foreign policy related to the Middle East, and according to PBS, cities such as Dearborn and Hamtramck in Michigan have begun providing ballots in Arabic. Recent elections in these cities have resulted in electing their first Arab American mayors. In 2022, five Arab Americans were elected to the US Senate, representing South Dakota, Maine, Michigan and New Hampshire.

MENA In Pop Culture and Entertainment

In addition to gaining prominence for international events, the Middle East’s influence on pop culture continues to grow. Arab-American actors, filmmakers, and musicians have made incredible contributions with television shows like Mr Robot, which aired from 2015-2019 and starred Rami Malek and created by Sam Esmail, who both come from immigrant Egyptian families. Monk, another popular TV show, featured Tony Shalhoub. Furthermore, musicians like DJ Khaled, whose parents are Palestinian immigrants, and Paul Anka, whose parents were of Lebanese descent, have made significant contributions to the music industry. Comedians including Mo Amer, and Ramy Youssef have also paved the way for diverse representation in.

Hire Middle Eastern and North African Voiceover Actors

We’re proud to feature voiceover actors representing the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) community. Bringing in an authentic voice to your project ensures that you bring a cultural sensitivity and understanding so that your message resonates authentically. and avoids unintentional misrepresentations or cultural insensitivity.

If you’re looking to hire a MENA voice actor to reach this audience for your next campaign, please contact us at casting@bluewavevoiceover.com. We’re happy to provide you with all the information and voiceover samples that you need!

Reproductive Rights

September 27, 2023 by Blue Wave Voiceover

The discussion around reproductive rights isn’t new. It’s a topic that continues to take center stage–especially in the context of politics and religion–and can include often heated conversations around birth control, abortion, and access to quality reproductive healthcare. With the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, decisions surrounding women’s rights have been left to each state. The recent changes in laws will likely lead to increased pressure on leaders in progressive states to protect and expand reproductive rights. The fight will need to incorporate grassroots campaigns, advocacy work, and strategic advertising. Local campaigns will need voices in their ads that reflect the very audience they are fighting to serve.

As movements that fight for women’s rights continue to gain momentum and give even bigger platforms for amplifying the stories and experiences of women, so does the conversation around protecting reproductive rights. There are countless news articles each day about states passing restrictive laws around abortion and reproductive healthcare services, and it’s become even more urgent to fight for reproductive rights and ensure all women have access to the information and resources they need to make decisions about their own bodies. It’s an important issue not only for women today, but for future generations. Whether it’s on the local level, state level, or national level, it’s critical to continue calling attention to and advocating for reproductive rights through targeted campaigns and compelling messaging that educates, advocates, and inspires people to work towards change.

Working with a female voiceover artist ensures that these campaigns resonate and reflect the community that is most impacted by the fight to protect reproductive rights. As individuals with a vested interest in protecting and promoting these rights, the roster of female voiceover talent at Blue Wave Voiceover is committed to working with you to drive your campaigns forward. They will work with you to ensure your campaign strikes the right balance of tone, messaging, and delivery.

Hearing a woman’s voice can mean the difference of someone listening to your campaign or truly hearing your campaign, whether it’s for TV, radio, podcast, or digital ad. Limiting access to reproductive healthcare has a disproportionate impact on women of color. Our roster of diverse female voiceover artists bring extensive experience as professionals and have worked with a wide range of companies and organizations to ensure their campaigns connect with the target audience. Working with a professional voiceover talent who can deliver just the right tone and inflection can play an important role in shaping public opinion around your campaign and the conversation about reproductive rights. It’s also an opportunity to showcase your support for the very women who would be impacted by restrictive policies and laws around reproductive rights.

Krysta’s commanding, bold, and engaging voice would be a great fit for a campaign around challenging misinformation and fighting for reproductive rights. Her delivery can not only inform audiences, but inspire them to a call to pay attention and take action.

If you’re looking for a warm and empathetic voice, Joey can help you bring your campaign to life. Her authentic and conversational tone will help you draw out empathy among your audiences and help them feel like they know the person behind the cause.

As a non-binary voiceover talent who who feels affirmed voicing roles for non-binary folks and women, Allegra’s non-profit advocacy background would be a great complement to a campaign advocating for reproductive rights and driving change.

Diverse Gen Z Voiceover Talents

August 30, 2023 by Blue Wave Voiceover

Wondering Why Hiring Diverse Gen Z Voiceover Talents For Your Political Spots Is Important?

Let’s See Who Gen Z Is And What They Care About!

Diverse Voiceover Talent! But, Who Is Gen Z?

Born between the 1990’s and 2010s and coming after the Millennial generation and before Generation Alpha, Generation Z (also known as Gen Z) has become an influential demographic in the political landscape of the United States. Gen Z is considered to be one of the most diverse generations in US history, largely due to increased immigration and increased birth rates among non-majority groups. A Gallup survey noted that about 21% of Gen Z’ers who have reached adulthood identify as LGBT.

What Matters to Gen Z?

Andre Santana image for diverse gen z voiceover talents article — André Santana, Hispanic & Latino Bilingual Voiceover

An estimated 24 million Gen Zers were eligible to vote in 2020, making up 10% of the total voting population. An article by The Hill attributes the strong young voter turnout to a number of factors that include “racial injustice, global climate change, and voter suppression, as well as increased efforts by educators to reach students and connect them to the issues and to voting resources.” The Gen Z voter turnout will only continue to grow with coming elections.

As the most racially and ethnically diverse voters, Gen Z has shown over the past few elections to favor progressive policies and candidates, including Democratic positions on topics such as abortion and reproductive justice, and inclusion. Having grown up with limitless access to information and news through social media and the internet, Gen Z has developed a heightened sense of social responsibility and concern about issues such as climate change, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ rights. It will be critical to understand and address the key issues that matter to Gen Z who not only care about societal and cultural issues but are engaged and want to see change happen.

Authenticity in Social Media Captures Gen Z Votes

By 2028, Gen Z and Millennials will make up the largest voting demographic, with Gen Z becoming the voting majority in the next five or so years. As Gen Z continues to become a strong voting demographic, it will be important for candidates to reach this younger audience through non-terrestrial media channels such as TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube with compelling campaigns, messaging, and positioning in order to secure the Gen Z votes not only in the near future but over their lifetime.

As the generation that has grown up deeply surrounded by technology, social media, and the internet, Gen Z are often referred to as “digital natives,” easily navigating digital platforms and online communications, and becoming early adopters of new apps and social media trends.

An estim

ated 60% of Gen Z voters leaned Democrat compared to 33% who leaned Republican, highlighting a generational divide in political ideologies as compared to previous generations. According to this article, Gen Z’s voting influence led to Democratic victories in battleground statewide contests, secured majority seats in the United States Senate, and President Biden’s 2020 victory.

For progressive and Democratic candidates, this momentum offers an opportunity to secure long-term support and a strong voter base for years to come from Gen Z. Actively engaging with this population and advocating for policies that align with their values while effectively communicating stances on issues that resonate with this population will make the difference in future election cycles. Gen Z is known for valuing authenticity in all aspects, including content they consume.

Work with Diverse Gen Z Voiceover Talent for Your Next Campaign

Amplifying this message by working with a Gen Z voiceover actor who is a part of this target audience establishes credibility and builds trust in campaigns and television or radio spots. When it comes to campaign content, working with Gen Z voiceover actors who can convey genuine emotions, relatability, and sincere passion for a range of social issues that are important to this audience can enhance your campaign’s impact.

With Gen Z at the forefront of the latest trends, memes, and cultural references, the professional Gen Z voiceover artists at Blue Wave Voiceover understand and incorporate these elements to add relevance and connect with this influential audience.

The wide range of Diverse Gen Z Voiceover Talents at Blue Wave Voiceover includes a diverse group of male, female, and non-binary professionals ensuring that your campaign has the authenticity that this demographic wants. Explore demos or request samples from the experienced roster of talent including, but not limited to, Allegra Verlezza, Cherie B. Tay, Sura Siu, Javier Prusky, and André Santana.

Immigrant Heritage Month

June 24, 2023 by Blue Wave Voiceover

Immigrant Heritage Month is an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions and impact of the diverse immigrant community in the United States on our society, economy, and culture. According to a Pew Research Report , more than 23 million immigrants in the United States were eligible to vote in the 2020 elections, representing a large and diverse voter base that continues to grow each year. In addition, a report from the National Partnership for New Americans noted that there are more than 5 million naturalized citizens–many of whom became naturalized in response to Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric–representing African, Latin American, Caribbean, Asian, and Pacific Islander countries.

It is critical to reach and connect with this voter base, who play an important role in shaping the local, state, and national political landscape, through all media channels including radio and television. In order to reach and connect with the growing voter base of immigrants and naturalized citizens, campaigns should reflect the diversity of this community. Working with a diverse roster of talent like the voiceover artists at Blue Wave Voiceover to reflect the diversity of target audiences can increase the impact and efficacy of campaign messaging. Voiceover artists who can accurately embody different dialects, accents, and languages offer an opportunity to amplify the voices of the very audiences a campaign is looking to reach. Involving professional voiceover artists gives credibility to campaigns by bringing cultural insights, authenticity, and genuine representation.

By incorporating the appropriate intonation, tone, and emotion, professional voiceover actors add authenticity and build trust with target audiences. They can communicate the complexities, struggles, and triumphs of the immigrant community to create an emotional connection and invite empathy and understanding. Hearing authentic voices that reflect their own experiences can help immigrant communities feel seen, heard, and validated, leading to greater engagement during election season. Professional voiceover artists can evoke emotions and connect audiences to the struggles, dreams, and triumphs of the immigrant community, creating an emotional connection that can inspire people to take action, especially on behalf of policy issues that impact the immigrant community.

Immigrant Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the vibrant cultural heritage and contributions of immigrants to the United States. It’s also a time to acknowledge the increasing political engagement of the immigrant community and the impact that voiceovers have in amplifying their voices and keeping them informed during the campaign and election season.

Voiceover for Podcasts

June 13, 2023 by Blue Wave Voiceover

Hire Voiceover for Podcasts

Podcasts are a quickly growing channel with at least 3 million podcasts and 154 million episodes worldwide. It’s a powerful way to increase an audience and promote your brand. A high-quality listening experience paired with compelling content can help your podcast stand out from the crowd. Hiring a professional voiceover artist to serve as your podcast host or voice the introduction to your show can add a level of authenticity and credibility. Whether your podcast is a branded podcast, sponsored podcast, audio drama, or a chat show, hiring a podcast voiceover talent is becoming more popular every day.

While many people are eager to get a podcast off the ground, they may not bring the skills and experience needed to effectively communicate with an audience to capture their attention. A professional voiceover talent from Blue Wave Voiceover can bring their training and experience in vocal performance and audio production to add polish. No matter the tone or style you’re looking to achieve, Blue Wave Voiceover has you covered. If you’re looking for authentic voice artists, check out our roster like Spanish speaking, male or female, Black, Asian, or LGBTQIA+.

Turning Podcasts Into an Experience

A professional voiceover talent knows the exact combination of tone, cadence, pitch, and articulation to not only capture the listener’s attention but also keep them engaged throughout the podcast episode. Whether it’s a corporate podcast looking to share serious business information or a branded podcast targeting a specific audience through storytelling, working with a voice actor ensures that the podcast hits the mark. It can sound natural and conversational so that it creates an enjoyable listening experience and grabs the listeners you’re looking to reach.

Voice actors can also ensure that a high level of professionalism is incorporated into every podcast, including those addressing sensitive topics or controversial discussions. They can maintain a balanced and thoughtful approach to keep audiences engaged and, in some cases, offer a moment of reflection and a different perspective or point of view.

Bringing a Script to Life With a Voiceover Artist

Having a script or a general outline is an important element of podcasts. Voiceover artists can take a script and deliver a recording that sounds effortless and non-scripted. Whether as a host or a character in an audio drama, the professionalism and experience in script interpretation that they bring ensures that podcast scripts don’t sound like the reading of the phone book. Instead, a voice actor can take any script and turn it into lively and engaging audio content that helps listeners feel connected to the podcast hosts and discussions.

Voice actors also know how to improvise and ad-lib so that organic conversation can flow naturally, especially in podcasts where the hosts are interviewing subject matter experts. They know how to navigate spontaneous moments and ensure the podcast continues to stay relevant and engaging for the listener rather than sounding like a random thought that distracts from the main conversation or topic at hand.

Expert Voiceover with Professional Audio Production

The roster of talent at Blue Wave Voiceover all have access to broadcast-quality professional home recording equipment including microphones and audio editing software. Our professional voiceover actors are highly knowledgeable and trained in microphone techniques, acoustics, audio editing, and bring not only the voice acting skills but also the technical skills to create high-quality audio.

By streamlining the recording experience, you can avoid the separate costs of booking the talent, the studios, and post-production time. Working with a professional voice actor means that you don’t need to juggle the different elements of scheduling, budgeting, and managing a traditional studio recording. You’ll receive an all-in-one experience with faster turnaround times.

On Time, Every Time – Podcasting With Intent

Consistency is key. By building a consistent posting schedule, podcasts build trust with their listeners who may be anticipating a new episode. Blue Wave Voiceover’s roster of professional voice actors know the importance of meeting deadlines so that content is recorded and delivered on time for the next episode release.

Bringing in a professional voiceover talent can get your podcast launched and off to a strong start. When you work with the roster of professional voice actors at Blue Wave Voiceover, you’re guaranteed a professional and polished tone right from the start while combining the pre-production and post-production work into an all-in-one service. Check out our voice talent here. Contact them directly or contact us for custom auditions!

Celebrating The New Disabled Voice Actors Database

January 26, 2023 by Blue Wave Voiceover

Here at Blue Wave Voiceover, we are committed to presenting voices that look and sound like America. We’re proud to feature talented voice actors on our roster that span the generations and come from diverse backgrounds. When we talk about access and authenticity as a country, one thing that is frequently left out of that conversation is Accessibility for disabled people. Many advocates have emphasized the importance of explicitly including accessibility in these conversations to ensure a more comprehensive and meaningful commitment to supporting disabled folks in the workforce, media landscape, and beyond.

To that end, we’re proud to be a partner and champion of a new resource for both voice actors and voice seekers in our little production universe here.

Introducing The Disabled Voice Actors Database

On December 3, 2022, in honor of the International Day of Persons With Disabilities, voice actor and Blue Wave Voiceover collective member Maria Pendolino supported the launch of The Disabled Voice Actors Database. This database serves as a central dashboard that empowers casting directors and other voice-seeking industry professionals to source high-quality, talented voice actors who also happen to be disabled.

This database is important for a number of reasons. Studies have shown that people living with a disability still make less money and have higher unemployment rates. Even with its digital embellishment, the society we live and work in leaves little room for any interpretation that isn’t physically or mentally “able-bodied”.

Unfortunately, this is a theme that continues throughout the world of entertainment, including voice over acting. Although the industry may often cite inclusivity and progressinve-ness as values, so often disabled voice actors are looked over for parts — even when these parts involve the portrayal of a disabled character!

A New Beginning for An Important Disability & Accessibility Resource

Maria and The Disabled Voice Actors Database founder Nick Germain made it their mission to make sure that there would never be another easy excuse to pass over disabled voice talent. Inspired by similar databases serving the LGBTQIA+ community (QueerVox) and People of Global Majority (aka BIPOC/POC) (PGM VO List), they created Version 2.0 of The Disabled Voice Actors Database.

Like so many good ideas, the database started as a Google Sheet, but it wasn’t long before it outgrew those rows and columns. The Disabled Voice Actors Database 2.0 exists as a sophisticated AirTable that is free to join and only visible to vetted voice seekers. Other voice actors that were instrumental in making the Database come to life were Satauna Howery, Tony Jackson, Tyler Berman and Lindsay Sheppard — a hard working team of volunteer steering committee members.

Steering committee member Tyler Berman said “To accurately cast and give voiceover talent a chance to go out for both disabled (and more importantly) typical characters is why I feel this will help break the stigma of voiceover actors with disabilities only being able to voice disabled characters. You see on-screen actors with disabilities perform both types of characters all the time so why not voice over actors? You only hear their voice and the voice actor could be very capable for the role.”

How To Search For Talent With The Database

In order to protect the privacy and well-being of the voice actors in the database, The Disabled Voice Actors Database is only visible to vetted individuals. In order to pass the vetting process, an applicant must be in a position to seek out and hire voice talent, and must also be willing to provide a fair wage and humane and reasonable work process, which may need to include accommodations.

It’s easy to request to be vetted — simply visit www.disabledvoiceactors.com and follow the button labeled “Voice Seeker Access Request”. Once we’ve done our due diligence we’ll send you your login credentials along with a short tutorial on how to best use the database.

How To Join The Database As A Disabled Voice Actor

In order to make sure our database helps as many voice actors as possible, we’ve made it free to add your name. The only stipulation is that if you’re under 18, you’ll need to ask your parent or legal guardian to add you to the database.

If you have any questions or comments about this new endeavor, The Disabled Voice Actors Database volunteer steering committee would love to hear from you at disabledvoiceactors@gmail.com.