Radio and television
In the 80s, Waldemaro joined Venevisión to work in the videotape area, but a colleague soon suggested he try out at the stations preparing to make the leap to frequency modulation (FM). From then on his voice became a protagonist of Venezuelan radio, winning many awards and honors over the course of his career.
His professional features date that start: he began in 1980, at the age of seventeen, at Éxitos 1090 AM, a station of the Unión Radio circuit, covering the small hours at first; and in 1988 he was among the founders of La Mega Estación. Out of his signature came programs of his own — “Venezuela Todo Color,” “La Hora del Ensueño y del Amor,” “Disco Report,” “La Musiteca” and “Programa en Vivo” — several of them documented in the “Allies On Air” collection of this Archive.
Television arrived in 1986 with “Viva La Juventud,” the youth contest of Radio Caracas Televisión, and with the post of promo announcer for the channel, which he held until 1990.
His impeccable phonetics and unique style projected him beyond Venezuela, reaching the Hispanic audience in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Chile, as well as cities such as Miami, New York, Orlando, Boston, Washington and Philadelphia. His professional profile lists stints at 97.9 FM in New York, Power 800 AM and 102.9 FM in Boston and 93.7 FM in Santo Domingo, as well as stations in Ecuador, Chile, Costa Rica and Venezuela.
The voice of the minitecas
Waldemaro was one of the voices most sought after as voice over by the leading minitecas of Venezuela. His unmistakable tone and his emphatic lines made the difference in a world where the vocal presentation was as important as the music. At the legendary Guerras de Minitecas — the sound clashes of the movement — his voice was a byword for spectacle, rivaling other great announcers of the time.
For his style, his energy and his precision, he came to be considered the most imitated voice in the history of Venezuelan announcing, founding a school for later generations of hosts and announcers.
Advertising and branding voice
Martínez also established himself as one of the most recognized voices in the Hispanic advertising world, becoming the branding voice of major international brands. Among them stand out HBO Latinoamérica, Telemundo, Spanish Broadcasting System, Audi, Nissan, Lotería de la Florida, Sierralta Entertainment and Unión Radio, among many others.
His representation listing adds to that list Banco de Venezuela, Ron Barceló, Audi Latinoamérica, Emporio Group and Grupo Zibata, and presents him as the official voice of HBO Latinoamérica and of Telemundo Network: the same voice that announced a guerra de minitecas ended up opening television channels for the whole continent.
Today
A lover of his Venezuelan roots, Waldemaro currently produces a program of folk music broadcast every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Mega 94.9 FM, in Providence, Rhode Island. He does it from Miami, where he lives: today's technology lets him go on the air more than two thousand kilometers from the station without the distance showing — the same job as always, with the geography solved by the cable.
Legacy
With a career spanning radio, television, advertising and the minitecas, Waldemaro Martínez is one of the most influential voices in Venezuelan culture. His unique style, his phonetic precision and his ability to connect with international audiences have made him a true point of reference and the voice that has accompanied the lives of millions of people in Latin America and the world.
Credits and sources
- · Migrated from the original article at culturaminiteka.com/voces-que-dejaban-huella/waldemaro-martinez (accessed July 9, 2026).
- · Professional profile at F&F Media Corp (ffmediacorp.com/es/Artistas-3/Periodistas-6/Waldemaro-Martinez-133): start at the age of 17 in 1980 at Unión Radio, musical training in harp, piano and voice, his mother the concert performer Yolanda Navarro, residence in Miami, official voice of HBO Latinoamérica and Telemundo Network, stations and brands represented. Accessed July 31, 2026.
- · Profile on RossanaMúsica (rossanamusica.com/waldemaro-martinez/, 2012): “WM La Voz,” start in 1980 at Éxitos 1090 AM, founding of La Mega Estación in 1988, list of radio programs and his time on “Viva La Juventud” (RCTV, 1986) as promo announcer until 1990. Accessed July 31, 2026.
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