Mauricio Lomonte
Mauricio Alberto Lomonte Suárez (born 10 June 1982), known professionally as Mauricio Lomonte, is a Cuban radio announcer and television host.[1][2][3]
Mauricio Lomonte | |
|---|---|
 Mauricio Lomonte on his working day in front of Radio Reloj microphones in 2012 | |
| Born | Mauricio Alberto Lomonte Suárez June 10, 1982 |
| Nationality | Cuban |
| Other names | Mauro |
| Occupation | Announcer, Presenter |
| Years active | 2000 - present |
He is mainly recognized among the Cuban public for hosting and presenting the television program “De la Gran Escena” since 2014.[1][4]
Early life
Mauricio Lomonte was born in Havana. His family has Italian ancestry through the father, therefore his last name is “Lomonte”.
Until his first year of life, he lived with his parents in the Havana municipality of Cerro, then he went to live with his grandmother, who raised and took care of him until he became and adult.[1]
As he said in an interview, he learned to read since a very young age, even then he played at being an announcer without knowing what he was doing, and he always had a very good diction. However, he never participated on school's acts because he was and still is very shy.[1]
It was his grandmother who told him that his mother had once taken the locution test and had passed them. On the other hand, his father, who emmigrated to the United States, always tells him that he is a frustrated announcer.[1]
He attended high school in a boarding school, in the late 1990s, during the time when the Cuban educational system promoted the mandatory program called “pre-university boarding schools in the country side” (currently not applicable) for those who wanted to obtain a high school's degree.
Career
Beginnings and development (2000 – 2014)
He was only 17 years old when Tony Reytor, a voice over professional working for the COCO broadcasting station, told him, “Boy, you should exploit that voice of yours”. That's how he started working as an assistant of direction in that radio station, although without approaching a microphone whatsoever.[1]
He enrolled himself in workshops and voice over courses, which he never missed. During the year 2000 he debuted in cultural and informational spaces. He also worked with Marelis Plasencia, playing the role of Manuel Mendive in a cultural program with the help of Nelson Moreno.[1]
He was able to hone his talent with great voice over masters such as Antonio Pera and Ángel Hernández Calderín.[1]
By then, he replaced the announcer of the “Música Viva” show in Radio Rebelde, but he recognizes that at the beginning of that experience he was not good because he talked too fast. Then, he was recommended to work in Radio Reloj broadcasting station, where he started on January, 2001. He agrees with some other colleagues who think of that radio station as the real school to form voice over professionals. At the age of 18, everybody was telling him he could become a great radio announcer, it was all in his effort to succeed.[1]
He remembers in such way two great teachers: Ibrahím Aput and Laureano Céspedes. His first shift in the station was after midnight: “it was hard work, all the news had to be said in a minute and you need a good sense of synthesis”. He had a lot of help during that time from Luis Alarcón Santana, which made him read out loud and listen to Radio Reloj, where he still works.[1][5][6] Later, during an interview made almost eighteen years after he started working in that radio station, he said about his job: “It's hard work, because other than knowing the extent of this radio station, you have to talk for an entire hour, reading the news at first sight, without some preparation first, it takes a lot from the announcers, that's why it needs a lot of experience, focus and interpretation when being on air”.[7]
After participating on a TV casting, he was selected as an announcer for the third emission of the National Television Newscast (NTV), at the same time he began working on Close Caption and signed up for the sign languages courses for the deaf and hypoacustic (hard of hearing) people.[1]
Success and definitle performance on television: “De la Gran Escena” (2014 – present)
In 2014, Lomonte made his definitle promotion to the television screen in the program called “De la Gran Escena”, when the previous host, Niro de la Rúa, left the program. Mauricio was accepted as a substitute for de la Rúa in this television program by its director, José Ramón Artigas.[1][4]
He also is a member to the Radio Rebelde staff, specifically the newscast “Portada Rebelde”. On television he was seen on the newscast “Buenos Días” and in specialized news broadcasting. His voice was frequently used on the program “Cartelera” until November, 2018; as well as audiovisual materials processed by the Dubbing Department of Cuban television.[1]
He has been the host for some national festivals as the Contest of Cuban Traditional Music “Eduardo Saborit” and some different commercial spots and other materials from Cuba and other countries.[1]
He currently works for Canal Habana and the ANSOC newscast, which broadcasts from Monday to Friday on Cubavisión.[1]
Since 2011, he has been conducting the “SOS Planeta” program, which issues warnings about damage to the ecosystem and the danger that this implies for biodiversity, it is broadcast by Radio Taíno, the FM of Cuba.[1][8][9]
Opinions about his profession
To Mauricio Lomonte, locution is “to show yourself as you are, know how to reach those who will listen to you and above all, you have to be humble, simple and receptive, give your best and know how to reach your audience”.[1]
“I have always thought that the locution, in addition to being an important specialty for the listener or viewer, also constitutes an art like acting. I say this because a well-pronounced news or comment reaches the listener or viewer right away”.[1]
Personal life
Mauricio Lomonte is openly homosexual.
References
- "La locución es mostrarte tal cual eres". envivo.icrt.cu. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- "Radio Reloj por dentro". Radio Reloj. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- "Día del locutor: necesaria evocación". www.radiocubana.cu (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-01-27.
- Casariego, Mayán Venero Fotos: Luis. "De la Gran Escena homenajea a las mujeres cubanas". Televisión Cubana (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- Rebelde, Radio. "Radio Reloj a sus setenta años sigue dando la hora (+Audio y Fotos)". www.radiorebelde.cu. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- "El locutor en la emisora Radio Reloj". www.radiocubana.cu (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- "70 años minuto a minuto". www.radiocubana.cu (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- CUBANOW (2020-05-06). "SOS Planeta, un mensaje desde la Radio". Cubanow (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- "Un S.O.S por el conocimiento". www.radiotaino.icrt.cu (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-02-01.