"Pasifika Voices" provide the Music of the Pacific for Disney's MOANA
In 2002 Disney gave us 'Lilo & Stitch' a story about a little Hawaiian girl & an alien creature - they used a choir from Auckland for the music. Pasifika Voices choir director and the Head of Performing Arts at the USP Oceania Centre in Suva, Igelese Ete told them it wasn't really Pacific.
Last year, at his own expense he travelled to Los Angeles to leave a personal message at Disney studios saying “that they cannot produce a movie about the Pacific and not include voices of the Pacific”
Disney to their credit took notice of Ete's message and their team flew to Fiji a few weeks ago to hear the Pasifika Voices choir hoping they'd find music that would capture the Pacifics heart, soul and musical essence. They weren't expecting much as they hadn't had experience with talent in the Pacific but they were totally wowed after hearing the 20 young singers from Fiji and the Solomon Islands who make up Igelese's choir.
“The balance of the choir and the beauty of their voices, the feel and blend of what we felt will take the film [Moana] to a whole new level,” gushed Music Editor, Earl Ghafarri.
“Its everything we could wish for. We can’t wait to take it back and have everybody listen to it. As we go back and do the rest of the music – this is going to lift everybody up”
Don Harper, Moana’s Orchestral Conductor could only muster “It was an exceptional experience”
For Oscar winner, MacDougall, he gave Igelese and Pasifika Voices the ultimate accolade “I have been working in a lot of movies and whether recording in Los Angeles or anywhere else in the world, I can sincerely say that the experience in working with Pasifika Voices has been the absolute tops, I can’t thank Igelese enough for getting the group ready and lending us their spirit for this project because it’s going to last for a lifetime”
The choir have now secured a contract to feature on the soundtrack - you'll now see 20 Fijian & Solomon Island names in the credits - and they will also travel to attend the global premiere of MOANA in November.
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