Every so often, a movie is released with an accompanying soundtrack that fans can't get out of their heads. Such is the case with Encanto, which premiered on Disney streaming services in November and has since inducted people all over the world into the Madrigal family.
The story of Maribel Madrigal and her magically gifted mother, aunt, uncle, sisters, and cousins takes place in Colombia and is supported by a cast of Latinx actors, singers, and producers, including composer Germaine Franco, songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, and singer-songwriter Sebastian Yatra. But the film's message-about obligation to family, legacies of trauma, and pressure to conform-is universal, which may be why the soundtrack has been streamed abundantly in over 20 languages and has reached number one on the top albums streamed on Spotify in 2022.*
So far, the Encanto soundtrack has over 494 million all-time plays globally,** and the countries streaming at the highest rates include Colombia, the United States, the Philippines, Panama, Iceland, and the U.K. Part of what's bringing so many people back to Encanto are the multiple standout hits, like Dos Oruguitas, which earned Sebastian Yatra his first top-20 single, and We Don't Talk About Bruno, an ensemble-driven salsa son montuno (mountain sound) that features a majority of the cast.
Bruno became Lin-Manuel's first global number one song on Spotify in the U.S. in early January and now has more than 100 million streams on Spotify.*** It has also been dominating across international charts, securing the number one spot on Spotify's U.K. Top 50 songs list and U.K. Weekly, along with topping the U.K.'s Official Singles Chart for the last two weeks. Three other songs from the soundtrack have made it to the top 10 on the U.S. Songs Consumption chart, including Surface Pressure, The Family Madrigal, and What Else Can I Do?
Knowing that We Don't Talk About Bruno' has touched so many hearts of so many different generations in an organic way is very big, and being in the Top 50 on the music charts on Spotify is huge, said Carolina Gaitan La Gaita, who plays Mirabel's T a Pepa and leads the vocals on Bruno on the English and Spanish soundtracks of Encanto. I think it has been a surprise for everyone, but without a doubt it has been the most beautiful surprise of my life.
The making of Encanto is perhaps as magical as the story itself. Encanto's audio signature can be largely attributed to Mexican-American composer Germaine Franco, who had previously worked with Disney and Disney Animation as a songwriter, music producer, and orchestrator. This was the first time Germaine took the role of lead composer for a Disney film, however, making her the first woman to hold this position at the company. After working with Lin-Manuel and Tom MacDougall, President of Disney Music, on a previous Disney animated feature, Germaine was asked by the pair to join the project and collaborate with Lin-Manuel on orchestral arrangements, orchestration, and additional production on his songs.
For the Record spoke with Germaine about composing for Encanto, including the homework she did to bring Colombian music to life on screen.
How did you prepare for this project? For each score that I create, I like to dive deep into the culture of the protagonists and the regions specific to the location of the storytelling. I spent many hours listening to and studying the structures, instrumentation, performance styles, harmonies, melodies, and rhythms of traditional Colombian music. I felt that the Colombian instruments would provide me with inspiration, which they did-especially the arpa llanera (Colombian harp) and the marimba de chonta (Afro-Colombian marimba), and I knew that the score would be much richer if we were able to hear the authentic voices of Colombian musicians and singers.
How did you bring elements from magical realism -a prominent literary theme among famous Latin American/Colombian authors-to life in the score? When I first got the call, I went back to the heart of magical realism by reading Gabriel Garc a M rquez in Spanish. I also read historical texts about Colombian history, music, and literature. I watched documentaries and videos about Colombian culture. I wanted to connect to that world beyond the reality of what is seen. I imagined myself in that world. I kept thinking, What is the sound of magical realism? as I worked.
One key element of magical realism in the score is the female voice. I imagined that the voices of women would be representative of this world. I connected deeply to the tradition of the cantadora style of singing present in the Afro-Colombian regions of Colombia. And later, we recorded a live choir from Colombia featuring Isa Mosquera, one of the backing vocalists in Carlos Vives' band, and a 22-piece choir here in Los Angeles.
Another aspect of the sound of magical realism I constructed comes from the sound of many flutes made of natural wood-bamboo-played by the exquisite Pedro Eustache. Pedro's voice can be heard throughout the score. If you listen, you will hear the gaita, a traditional flute from Colombia and one of my favorite instruments on the score.
What does your involvement in this film mean to you and for other women or Latinx composers? When I was first called to work on the film, I was elated to be able to work with Lin-Manuel and the filmmakers. I didn't think too much about firsts. My main goal was to create the best possible score for this beautiful film. I wanted to succeed as an artist and to give the music an authentic Latinx sound. Encanto is a milestone for Walt Disney Animation Studios because it's their 60th feature film, so I felt that it was an important responsibility on my part to bring a strong Latina voice to the main characters, Mi
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Every so often, a movie is released with an accompanying soundtrack that fans can't get out of their heads. Such is the case with Encanto, which premiered on Disney streaming services in November and has since inducted people all over the world into the Madrigal family. 
