LYRICS & CRAFTS
II International Congress
on Song Dubbing
& Translation for Musical Theatre
Online, 9-11 May 2025
Conference theme
Stage and film musicals are a complex artistic genre (Kenrick 2000/2020) which is usually called upon to endure over time and cross borders. When translating a theatrical or audiovisual work into other languages and cultures, one of the great challenges faced by those who import it is to produce an effect in the target audience that is very similar to that produced in the country of origin (Cotes Ramal 2005; Franzon 2005; Apter and Herman 2016: 58; Low 2017: 109-111).
For this purpose, it is essential to understand in depth those key elements that need to be transferred, taking into account the original work and the type of commission (Mateo 2008; Mas-Griera 2020: 6:48 and 26:48). This requires the need for creators, translators, adaptors and stage directors to reach a series of consensus.
The working thesis is to demonstrate that, if the necessary conditions are given, versions that are faithful to both form and content can be achieved, placing special emphasis on the balance that should be met between literality and literariness (Etkind 1982: 261 ; Gallegos Rosillo 2001; Torrent-Lenzen 2006; Low 2005, 2013).
The main objective of this conference is to create a space for reflection and dialogue among the different agents of the professional world and the university field, at an international level, with a special focus on song lyrics, given the enormous complexity that can be found in the task of recreating them in other languages.
Both approaches, practice and research, complement each other when it comes to assessing the quality of the resulting product, both in dubbing and in the musical theatre.
The recipients of this congress are:
Creators
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Musical theatre composers
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Lyricists
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Composition students
Translators and adaptors
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Audiovisual and literary translators
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Song adaptors
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Translation students
Performers
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Actors and singers
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Dubbing actors
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Stage directors
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Choreographers
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Musical theatre students
Researchers and lecturers
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Audiovisual and literary translation teachers
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Researchers in the field of musical translation and adaptation
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Researchers in the field of musical theatre or musical films
The First Congress on Song Dubbing and Translation for Musical Theatre will be dedicated, but not limited to, the following topics and themes:
1. Rhymes and reasons
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Psychology behind the rhyme-as-reason effect
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The contribution of rhyme to language acquisition
2. The architecture of Broadway songs
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Rhyme in musical theatre
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Style in Broadway lyrics
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Singability: writing lyrics with consideration of music and staging
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Why is the title of a song so important?
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Songwriting through the years: evolution of the genre
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The music industry in relation to songs
3. Song dubbing and translation for musical theatre
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The cultural challenge behind exporting Broadway musicals
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Defining equivalence and setting standards: content and form
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Credibility and dubbing? Is it possible to persuade the audience?
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In search of a comprehensive model for analysis
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The profession of song translators
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Training for translating and adapting musicals
The working languages are English and Spanish.
Fees
Speakers - Early bird fee (until March 31) - 70€
Speakers - Last call (from April 1) - 90€
Participants - Early bird fee (until March 31) - 25€
Participants - Last call (from April 1) - 40€
Students - Early bird fee (until March 31) -5€
Students - Last call (from April 1) - 10€
Payment: LINK TO REGISTER
E-mail address for correspondence: doblaje@saunders.es
Congress organisation
Nicholas Saunders (Escuela de Doblaje de Canciones, Spain)
Iñaki Torre Fica (Escuela de Doblaje de Canciones, Spain)
Secretary
Mar Ogea Pozo (University of Córdoba, Spain)
Mónica Zapardiel (Escuela de Doblaje de Canciones, Spain)
María Ofelia Saunders (Escuela de Doblaje de Canciones, Spain)
Mar Ogea Pozo (University of Córdoba, Spain)
Daniel Ricardo Soto Bueno (University of Málaga, Spain)
Alberto Mira (Oxford Brookes University, UK)
Anna Deeny Morales (Georgetown University, USA)
Paula Cifuentes Férez (University of Murcia, Spain)
Raúl Galoppe (Montclair State University, USA)
Peter Low (University of Canterbury, New Zealand)
Johan Franzon (University of Helsinki, Finland)
17:15 Presentation (Language: English & Spanish)
Iñaki Torre (Escuela de Doblaje de Canciones)
Nicholas Saunders (Escuela de Doblaje de Canciones)
17:30 Words and Music: How to Combine Them Successfully (Language: English)
Brett Boles (Musical theatre composer & lyricist)
18:30 Traducción de musicales y sentido: «Hopelessly Devoted to You» retraducido (Language: Spanish)
Daniel Soto Bueno (University of Málaga, Spain)
19:00 Verso, intertextualidad y juegos de palabras: El proceso de adaptación de El Grinch: El musical (Language: Spanish)
Joan Manuel Segura-Guiscafré
19:30 How Do We Do It? Translating Songs into German (Language: English)
Kevin Schroeder (Musical theatre author and song adaptor)
21:00 Translations to Sing - Pentathlon Plus (Language: English)
Peter Low (University of Canterbury, New Zealand)
09:45 Preferencias de las personas sordas en las traducciones de canciones a lengua de signos española (Language: Spanish)
Elena López Burgos (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain)
Rayco H. González Montesino (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain)
10:15 Canta High School Musical 3: El doblaje de canciones (Language: Spanish)
Julia Elvira Morcilo, Ana Rodríguez Domínguez (University de Granada, Spain)
10:45 Sentido, rima y musicalidad. Una propuesta de traducción del musical Miss Saigon (Language: Spanish)
Daniela Brajín Medina
11:30 Translating Musicals into Japanese (Language: English)
Gen Parton-Shin (Musical theatre actor & song adaptor)
12:30 Sonoridades y rimas en la canción del musical americano (Language: Spanish)
Ángel Fernández Sebastián (Song adaptor & audiovisual translator)
Marc Gómez Domènech (Song adaptador & musical theatre and dubbing actor)
13:30 Dramaturgia y adaptación musical (Language: Spanish)
Roser Batalla (Song adaptor & theatrical translator)
14:30 Descanso
16:00 Different Words, Same Melody: An Exploratory Study of Reception of Translated Songs (Language: English)
Lingli Xie (The National University of Defense Technology, China)
Bingxin Cai (The National University of Defense Technology, China)
16:30 Grotesque Goes Feminist – The Case of The Tiger Lillies’ Song “Vagina” in Polish Translation (Language: English)
Anna Mach (University of Warsaw, Poland)
17:00 Bridging Theory and Practice: A Pedagogical Framework for Song Translation (Language: English)
Dra. Kodura Małgorzata (University of the National Education Commission, Krakow, Poland)
17:45 What is the form? What is the point? Does it soar? A functional format of musical theatre translation (Language: English)
Johan Franzon (University of Helsinki, Finland)
19:00 La adaptación de las canciones de El jorobado de Notre Dame al castellano y al catalán (Language: Spanish)
María Ovelar (Song adaptor & musical dubbing director)
Albert Mas-Griera (Song adaptor & theatrical translator)
20:00 Traduciendo musicales en Argentina (Language: Spanish)
Marcelo Kotliar (Song adaptor & theatrical translator)
21:00 Cantando a María Elena Walsh en inglés (Language: Spanish)
Sandra Brizuela (Song adaptor & audiovisual translator)
12:30 Roundtable discussion: Voices on Stage (Language: English)
Myrra Malmberg (Sweden), Gino Emnes (Germany)
19:00 Roundtable discussion: A look to the future (Language: English)
AVÜ e. V. (Germany)
BDÜ - Henning Bochert (Germany)
Synchronverband (Germany)
ATRAE - Iris C. Permuy (Spain)
E-mail address for correspondence: doblaje@saunders.es