WELCOME to the Official website of
OPETAIA FOA'I
Award-winning composer, producer, singer, guitarist and life-long ambassador of the South Pacific.
LATEST NEWS: "Moana Live Action" will be released on the 10th July 2026
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Moana Live-action
Opetaia Foa'i, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Mark Mancina are back together again working on the Live-action soundtrack. The live-action movie will feature songs from the original animated film, which were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa'i There will be a "brand new score" for the live-action film. The film will be directed by Thomas Kail, known for directing the Broadway musical Hamilton |
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Opetaia is nominated for "Best Soundtrack Album" for Moana 2 in the APRA/AMCOS 2025
Screen Music Awards. APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) have announced the nominees for 13 categories ahead of the 2025 Screen Music Awards. Heading to Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall for the first time on Tuesday 28 October, the annual Screen Music Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in screen composition across 16 categories, recognising outstanding contributions in short film, television series, documentaries, children’s programming, feature films and more. Opetaia Foa'i Receives the Pacific Music
"Lifetime Achievement" Award
Moana 2 Announced
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Opetaia and Olivia Foa'i BBC
(Jan 2021) An in depth insight into Opetaia, his background, inspiration and musical success, with interviews from wife, Julie Foa'i, and daughter, Olivia Foa'i. LISTEN NOW |
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Te Vaka song in Hobbs & Shaw Soundtrack
(Aug 2019) If you've seen the recent Fast & Furious spinoff "Hobbs & Shaw", then you would've heard Opetaia's song "Taku Uo Pele" featured in a beautiful spot in the film as the characters arrive to Samoa. Here is the translation to the lyrics which were in the movie: Fakafetai mo to alofa te gali ona taimi heoli lahi te fiafia kiki ki luga ve he matagi meake ve he lalolagi a tatou Thank you for your love for the best time we had one hell of a time kicking up a storm like we owned the world |
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"Songs of Moana" live - Te Vaka & Orchestra
(18 Jul. 2018) A brief trip to New Zealand this month saw 4 very rare and unsurprisingly, sold out, concerts from Te Vaka. It was a unique and powerful collaboration between Opetaia Foa'i, Te Vaka and 3 different New Zealand Orchestras (Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Wellington), resulting in the live experience: "Songs of Moana". Having many of the same voices and musicians found on the movie's soundtrack, and supported by the power of 60-something-piece orchestras, the show was an undeniable hit among adults and children alike. "Every single item was stirring, effective, and excellently executed, holding the attention of and entertaining all in the audience, young and old...." "...It’s fair to say that Songs of Moana was a huge success..." - Ihlara McIndo, The Wave "In the case of Moana, the music's sheer musicality and character carries it safely through to the other side, especially when it is performed with high spirited verve by a group which has established itself as one of today's leading musical voices of the Pacific." - Christopher Moore, The Press |
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Top Soundtrack at the Billboard Music Awards
(21 May 2018) Moana, up against the likes of Black Panther and The Greatest Showman, wins Top Soundtrack at this years BBMAs! |
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Moana at the 60th Grammys
(28 Nov. 2017) The Moana soundtrack is nominated for "Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media" in the 60th Recording Academy Grammy Awards! PICTURE: Music team (Left to right); Mark Mancina (music scoring), Opetaia Foa'i (songwriter), Lin Manuel-Miranda (songwriter), Tom Macdougall (Music Supervisor). |
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Moana wins AMAs Top Soundtrack
(19 Nov. 2017) Up against Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Trolls, Moana (music co-written by Opetaia Foa'i and Lin-Manual Miranda and scored by Mark Mancina) takes Top Soundtrack in the 2017 American Music Awards! |
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New Zealand Music Awards 2017
(16 Nov. 2017) After a powerful opening performance of "We Know the Way" and "Tulou Tagaloa", Opetaia received the International Achievement Award at this years VNZMAs. The other recipient of this recognition was Lorde. WATCH THE PERFORMANCE HERE |
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