By Reynaldo Mena
Troy Santiago was a young man who dreamed of working in Hollywood, directing movies, and telling stories. That was his dream. He loved cinema, which still remains one of his favorite passions. He left Mexico City with his family and settled in California, a place that was close to his goal. However, he did not reach Hollywood, but he did become a storyteller, a broadcaster who has conquered all sports fans. He is a poetry of narration. He is Troy Santiago. The official Spanish voice of the L.A. Rams, along with Ricardo López, and also the narrator of the fierce fights in the UFC.
“I think I was destined for this. From a very young age, I was passionate about public speaking and singing. I believe that somehow my destiny was being written from then on,” says Troy, as he is popularly known.
The timbre of his voice has made him known on radio and television. A firm, strong, dry voice makes spaces where it is heard tremble, and the masterful way he handles his tone transmits different emotions depending on his goal.
“It’s very interesting. I was studying Communication Sciences, but I was fascinated with participating in every oratory contest that was open. Obviously, law students were there, logically they would be the favorites. However, I always beat them,” says Troy.
From these contests, he gained great experience, “you have to speak with the confidence that you know what you’re talking about, even if you don’t.”
This experience helped him acquire the security he needed and, above all, the way to communicate it.
When he arrived in Los Angeles, he started working in telemarketing. He sold various products over the phone.
“There I realized that I could achieve many things with the use of my voice. If they were women, I spoke to them in one way, if they were men, I used another tone. Many times they would say, ‘I don’t need what you’re offering me, but the way you’re talking to me is making me buy it’.”
His first job in communications was on the radio. He created a youth segment that was part of the morning program. There he began to learn about the media in the United States.
He was so successful that he was fired. They didn’t want him to outshine the star presenter or the production of the program.
He went to work for Channel 62 as a sports news presenter. There he toughened up, it was a company with few resources and needed to do everything to produce its segment.
“I am very grateful for that experience. I learned everything, to adjust to the time they gave me, to edit, produce, and know how to choose the material I presented,” Troy adds.
After landing various jobs in radio and Fox Sports in Spanish, he took charge of the Spanish broadcasts for the UFC 16 years ago. He joined the Rams 8 years ago.
He feels that he has evolved. He has become very disciplined and knows that preparation is one of the fundamental pivots if he wants to achieve success in his career.
“One of the things I have always been afraid of is not doing it right, letting down the audience, making a mistake. I try to keep myself informed and study for the event I’m broadcasting. For example, if I go to Las Vegas as a commentator for a UFC event, I feel the responsibility of that worldwide transmission. I always try to arrive a day early, I have the information brochure waiting for me at reception. I study it that night and the next morning. On the way to the fight, I review it again. I have to know more than anyone else what I’m going to say that day, the details, the curious things, what can enrich my narration,” says the official voice of the Rams.
In a way, what Troy does is close to his dreams. He sits in his booth and begins to create a kind of literature. He has the characters, the setting, and the development of the story in front of him. Through his voice, he brings that book to life that he is writing at that moment through his voice.
“I feel obligated to dress up the event, that’s why I like radio. On television, you have the video, which helps you with your narration, you can pause, emphasize certain parts, get excited in others. That’s where the magic happens. But on the radio, you are the complete owner of the listener. You transmit to them through your voice a scenario that feeds their imagination, it’s our commitment to do it in a way that makes them feel present at the event,” he adds.
Troy thinks that success depends on being able to take advantage of the opportunities that arise in life. He feels that he has done that, he feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to narrate two Super Bowls and numerous UFC fights and soccer matches.
But among many things, there is one thing he really longs for.
“To broadcast a Super Bowl on national television. Not just for the local market, to make my voice heard across the country, that’s what I would like,” he says.
TROY SANTIAGO: TIPS TO BE A GOOD NARRATOR
-Have passion
-Enjoy what you do
-Be committed to your work
-Resilience
-Cry
-Self-confidence
-One is responsible for maintaining their own dreams
-Never take things for granted.
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