24 November 2016
PRESS RELEASE
Music – Biggest Highlight of Moana
One of the highlights of the Hollywood Disney Animation, Moana, is the soundtrack provided by The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Pasifika Voices choir, according to New
Zealand actor, Mr Temuera Morrison.
Mr Morrison, who provides the voice for Chief Tui and Moana’s father in the film, was the Guest of Honour during the premiere of Disney’s Moana on 23 November 2016 at Damodar Event Cinemas.
Moana is the 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, the 56th film
in Disney's animated features canon, and is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker.
The film introduces Auli’i Cravalho as Moana and features Dwayne Johnson, also known as the ‘The Rock’ who is the highest earning Pacific Islander. It is about a
young woman who uses her navigational skills to set sail for a fabled island, together with the legendary demi-god Maui.
Mr Morrison, during his address at the premiere said that the Polynesian flavour provided in the music is one of the
best features of the film, and attributed its hit to USP’s Head of Performing Arts, Mr Igelese Ete.
He further added that Disney has opened up the window of Pacific stories.
“There are many more stories to tell so hopefully this Disney Moana will encourage more filmmakers and even ourselves to make stories so that we can reflect them to our children and make
them feel proud,” Mr Morrison said.
Chief Guest of the event, Attorney General and Minister for Economy, Public Enterprises, Civil Service and
Communications, Honourable Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said that, “it is a very proud moment for us to have the production
here.”
Honourable Sayed-Khaiyum thanked Mr Ete and the Pasifika Voices team at USP for showcasing their talent.
“We look forward to you doing more of such international events. The government is very much in support of it,”
Honourable Sayed-Khaiyum said.
According to the Damodar Group Chief Executive, Mr Div Damodar, USP has created great international-standard students,
who have provided the soundtrack for Moana.
“They are part of us and it has been done right down the road from us, right here in Fiji and Mr Ete took the team and
conquered it,” Mr Damodar said.
For a member of the Pasifika Voices choir, Paulini Bautani, feedback from the Disney crew was very positive and
encouraging during the production of the film.
She said that when they were at the Disney studio, it felt like they were making history by voicing out a film to the
world, adding that she is humbled and thankful that such opportunity has come to the Pacific.
The Pasifika Voices choir for Disney’s Moana is made up of eighteen (18) of Fiji’s finest voices plus two young men from the Solomon Islands, led by renowned Pacific
maestro Mr Igelese Ete.