Moana is the 56th animated feature from
Disney
, an ocean adventure about a teenaged girl from a tribal community on a mystical island in the South Pacific. Its soundtrack offers both 45 minutes of score and a set of original songs co-written by a trio of musicians with impressive pedigrees. They include frequent
collaborator
Mark Mancina
, who worked with
Phil Collins
on 1999's
Tarzan
and 2003's
Brother Bear
. He's joined by singer/songwriter
Opetaia Foa'i
, leader of the Polynesian worldbeat group
Te Vaka
(who can be heard here), and
Lin-Manuel Miranda
, creator of the Pulitzer-winning Broadway smash Hamilton. The original score is by
Mancina
, who also penned scores for
's Tarzan, Brother Bear, and Planes, among others. Also a veteran of electronics-aided action scores for films like Speed and Con Air,
sticks to an orchestral palette for
Moana
that highlights brass and group drumming, as on "Prologue" and "Tamatoa's Lair." Mallet percussion, pitched drums, flutes, and choir also distinguish the soundtrack's overall sound.
recorded the vast majority of the score live in the studio with humans and "real" instruments, lending to an authentic feel. The main draw here, though, will be the original songs. Speaking of authenticity, the songs, thankfully, avoid prior
faux pas and outright offenses with regard to ethnic stereotyping. They managed this with a conscientious crew and the involvement of
Foa'i
, a Samoan-born musician with expertise in the region's traditional music. The songs' strong melodies, choral harmonies, and indigenous rhythms may draw certain comparisons to
The Lion King
, though
carves its own path. It does so with an ease that pervades both
's melodies and
Miranda
's way with natural-sounding syntax and rhythm. Highlights include "We Know the Way," sung by
and
, and the soaring "How Far I'll Go," delivered by
Auli'i Carvalho
in the title role, with a second version by Canadian pop singer
Alessia Cara
. Among other names appearing on the soundtrack are
Dwayne Johnson
, who sings "You're Welcome" as Maui, and
Jermaine Clement
of
Flight of the Conchords
, who sings "Shiny" as the menacing crab Tamatoa. Closing out the song portion of the album and bringing listeners back to contemporary reality are
Jordan Fisher
and a rapping
in a reprise of "You're Welcome." ~ Marcy Donelson