A New Zealand Pacific band has been chosen to lend their voices to Disney's next big movie - Moana.
Te Vaka is a group of musicians and dancers from various Pacific Island backgrounds based in New Zealand.
Their unique music - a blend of traditional Island and contemporary tunes - has taken them around the world and they have a huge following around the region.
Led by composer and lead singer Opetaia Foa'i, the group will perform on the Moana soundtrack; for which Foa'i has been chosen to be one of its song writers alongside award-winning composers Lin-Manuel Miranda and Mark Mancina, who worked on the Tarzan and The Lion King soundtracks.
The announcement came over the weekend at Disney's D23 Expo in the US, where Te Vaka performed one of the film's key songs.
Dwayne "The Rock"' Johnson - who is the voice behind one of the main characters in the film, Maui - introduced Te Vaka as "aiga" (Samoan for family).
Speaking to the crowd, Johnson, who is half Samoan, said: "I am so excited to be with you here today about Maui and our incredible story about Moana ... Samoa is in my blood and to tell a story inspired by the South Pacific is truly a great honour."
The highly anticipated film - which is due out in November next year - follows a young girl named Moana Waialiki who travels the seas to fulfil her ancestors' unfinished quest. Along the way she meets demi-god Maui, who helps her along the way.
New Zealand already has a connection to the movie in Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi, who is behind the film's script.
By Vaimoana Tapaleao of the New Zealand Herald
