Tamatoa is voiced by Jemaine Clement, half of the New Zealand comedy-folk duo Flight of the Conchords and a man known for his spot-on Bowie impression. But he didn't know when he signed on for Moana that he'd be channeling the Thin White Duke.
According to Miranda, "Shiny" was inspired by the Flight of the Conchords' tribute to David Bowie at the Aspen Comedy Festival in 2004, as well as listening to Bowie's songs on a loop shortly after the singer's death in January 2016.
If you listen closely to one of Lin-Manuel Miranda's original songs in Disney's new animated film Moana, you'll hear a tribute to both David Bowie and The Little Mermaid. That song is “Shiny,” written by Miranda and performed by Flight of the Conchords star Jermaine Clement.
Jemaine Atea Mahana Clement (born January 10, 1974) is a New Zealand-born stand-up comedian, actor, multi-instrumentalist, singer, voice artist, and comedian, best known as one half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Bret McKenzie. He voiced Tamatoa in Moana.
Moana's father and Tamatoa speak New Zealand English (NZE), which, though potentially unfamiliar to some, may be associated with a British, rather than “foreign” accent (defined as that of a non-native English speaker). Gramma Tala is the only principle character who speaks SE with a foreign accent.
Who is the demigod voiced by Dwayne Johnson in Moana?
Maui (/maʊwiː/) is a fictional character from the animated film Moana. Created by directors Ron Clements and John Musker and voiced by Dwayne Johnson, Maui is loosely based on Māui from Hawaiian mythology. In the film, Maui is depicted as a demigod who was abandoned by his parents and eventually adopted by the gods.
Bowie is reported to have had a vocal range of over three and a half octaves. In songs like 'Sweet Thing', he would employ distinctive falsetto flourishes and ornaments taking the voice even higher (up to soprano top Fs, apparently).
In his Junior School (Elementary School) choir, David's voice was rated as “adequate” and though vocally agile as an adult, Bowie was never known for great pitch accuracy. However, with his theatrical bent and fearlessness, David Bowie's ability to create memorable and emotional vocal stylings was of the highest order.
David Bowie guest starred as the voice of Lord Royal Highness. Atlantis SquarePantis was written by Casey Alexander, Zeus Cervas, Steven Banks and Dani Michaeli, with Alexander and Cervas serving as storyboard directors, and the animation was directed by Andrew Overtoom.
Whilst the character is entirely fictional, it's interesting to note that the name Tamatoa actually means “trophy” in the Maori language. This is very apt because Tamatoa is all about collecting treasure and souvenirs from the people he has defeated.
The reasons behind the change of name are not completely clear, but a tweet from Disney España gives an important clue: 'Moana' is registered as a trademark in Spain, and in a number of other European countries, hence the change to Vaiana in Europe.
Lawrence (1983), The Hunger (1983), Labyrinth (1986), The Linguini Incident (1991), and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). Films in which he appeared in a supporting role or cameo include The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and Zoolander (2001).
Various names such as Laurence Olivier and Julie Andrews were suggested, but a request for a rock star led to David Bowie being involved. He was a fan of Briggs's story When the Wind Blows and later provided a song for its animated adaptation.
In fact, Bowie was a massive Elvis fan, and was said to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the rock and roll icon's career. Plus, the pair shared a birthday on January 8. Bowie also said that he had originally wanted his song 'Golden Years' to be performed by Elvis.
David Bowie's stage uniforms were inspired by the Elvis suit. Bowie — a huge Elvis fan — instructed his clothing designer Freddi Burretti to draw inspiration from Elvis. But David Bowie was no copycat. Both visually and musically, he synthesized looks and sounds into his own.
Meaning:Warrior child; Trophy. With Pacific Island origins, Tamatoa is a unique boy's name. When traced through its Samoan origins, the name means “warrior child,” while it interestingly means “trophy” when looked at through its Maori links.
Tamatoa's defeat plays differently in the novelization The Story of Moana: after being knocked onto his shell, the creatures of Lalotai swarm Tamatoa and steal his shiny treasures against his protests. As he was powerless to stop them, Tamatoa's shell was left barren.
Tamatoa is the secondary antagonist of Disney's 56th full-length animated feature film Moana. He is a greedy, ruthless, narcissistic and selfish giant crab who loves to collect valuable objects for himself. He is also Maui's past arch-nemesis.
5) In the film's novelization, Moana's age is given as 16. This makes her the only Disney princess to be voiced by an actress younger than herself. Moana was released on Cravalho's 16th birthday.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has a secret to his mad singing skills seen in Moana. Tequila. That's right, Johnson insists he took the strong stuff to get voice-ready as the demigod Maui in Disney's animated film. Just a sip, mind you, of tequila and "going through the vocal ranges." Opera singers do the same thing.
