Main content

Moana: The Polynesian family behind the smash hit songs

Musician Opetaia Foa'i fought for Disney's smash hit Moana to stay true to Pacific culture, writing song lyrics in Samoan and Tokelauan.

Opetaia Foa'i grew up on the Pacific island of Samoa surrounded by its rhythms, sounds and songs. But surviving wasn't easy and his family moved to the city of Auckland in New Zealand. As he grew up in this new environment he began to look into his roots and started to make music about his voyager ancestors. It caught the eye of producers at Walt Disney Animation Studios who wanted him to co-write the music for their upcoming movie Moana, about a Pacific Island teenager trying to save her community. Opetaia Foa'i made sure the smash hit movie stayed true to Pacific culture - writing the soundtrack's lyrics in Samoan and Tokelauan and turning to his daughter Olivia Foa'i to sing.

Olivia has a new solo album out called Candid. https://www.oliviafoai.com/

Presenter: Emily Webb
Producers: June Christie and Mariana Des Forges

Picture: Opetaia and Olivia Foa'i at the Disney premiere of Moana
Credit: Supplied by Julie Foa'i

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 17 Jan 2021 23:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sun 17 Jan 2021 09:32GMT
  • Sun 17 Jan 2021 23:32GMT

Contact Outlook

Contact Outlook

Info on how we might use your contribution on air

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else鈥檚 life and expect the unexpected