‘Music and The Spoken Word’ features first Spanish-speaking woman narrator in program history

KSL TV’s Dan Rascon is traveling with the Choir to Mexico City and filming a documentary on the Choir. You can follow that journey on his Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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MEXICO CITY — For the first time in the 94-year history of “Music and The Spoken Word,” a Spanish-speaking woman will be the narrator, premiering on June 25.

The weekly half-hour broadcast with The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square is history’s longest-running continuous network broadcasts. It’s all part of a brand new pilot program that will introduce Spanish and Portuguese speakers to serve as narrators, broadcast to Spanish and Portuguese-speaking audiences worldwide.

Garna Mejia, a former KSL TV news reporter who now works in the Newsroom of the Communications Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will join three other Spanish-speaking narrators that will rotate for the Spanish broadcast. The others include Alex Melecio, Ana Yslas, and Pepe Valle. Mejia will debut the broadcast.

“I’m thrilled, and it’s humbling,” Mejia told KSL TV. “There are so many women that have been a part of the Choir since the beginning. Something that I’m very grateful for, but something that I know I’m just a little piece in so much that came before and so much work that will continue.”

Mejia said broadcasting “Music and The Spoken Word” in Spanish will have a huge impact.

Buenos Dias from Mexico City. Today the @TheTabChoir arrives in town to kick off their World Tour. Right now crews are filming Music and the Spoken word on location. @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/P0RPiu1Nt4

— Dan Rascon (@TVDanRascon) June 13, 2023

“The impact that can have on their lives is just unfathomable,” she said. “This is going to go into people’s homes. They are working with networks with TV stations all over Latin America. They’ve gotten something solidified in Mexico. I don’t think we will understand the ripple effect that this program is going to do. Especially when people can see someone like themselves in their own voice speaking to them, bringing them messages of hope and inspiration music that is familiar to them.”

Lloyd Newell, who has been the voice of “Music and The Spoken Word” for 33 years, said this is a huge step forward to have messages in people’s native language.

“I think this is an exciting advancement in the continuing legacy of “Music and the Spoken Word,” Newell told KSL TV. “There’s a bit of a disconnect, if you will, where they see me, and they hear a voice-over in Spanish or Portuguese or whatever the language will be. This way, we are looking at bringing native speakers who can communicate the message. It will be my spoken word, the same message just translated into various messages.”

Tabernacle Choir begins world tour in Mexico City

If the Spanish and Portuguese pilot programs does well, they hope to introduce other languages as well.

The choir will arrive in Mexico City on Tuesday afternoon and perform a variety of concerts during their one-week stay. The choir will also shoot a music video and do service projects.

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