KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — Malaysian singer Ayda Jebat has been given the honour of singing the Bahasa Malaysia version of How Far I’ll Go, one of the original soundtracks from Disney’s upcoming animated musical fantasy, Moana.

Titled as Bawaku Berkelana, the song is a self-empowering anthem that serves as an internal monologue for the titular heroine, and is originally sung by Auli’I Cravalho, the voice actress of Moana.

During Cinema Online’s Moana interview at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, the 24-year-old singer-actress said that she was approached by a representative from Disney South-east Asia months ago regarding the project.

“It’s a great opportunity, and it is my first time collaborating with Disney,” said the singer who was one of the top 14 finalists of season four of Akademi Fantasia, the popular Malaysian reality singing competition.

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“The song is very powerful and it was hard to sing because you have to put in a lot of emotions in it. There are also a lot of high notes,” she added.

According to the singer, it took her three hours and five takes to record the song perfectly.

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“I’m not used to singing ballad songs because I’m a pop singer, so this was my first time singing a ballad,” Ayda confessed, adding that the song was definitely one of the hardest songs she has ever sung.

As of now, Ayda won’t be dubbing the movie as it not known whether a Bahasa Malaysia version of Moana will be made available at cinemas, but the bubbly singer said that she is definitely up to play the role if she is approached for it.

Apart from Ayda, other South-east Asian singers for the Moana soundtrack include Janelle Salvador (Philippines), Maudy Ayunda (Indonesia), Myra Maneepat Molloy (Thailand) and Minh Nhu (Vietnam).

The movie follows 16-year-old Moana who sets sail for a fabled island with the help of demigod Maui in order to save her home island.

Voice starring Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger and Rachel House, Moana will be released on December 1 in Malaysia. — CinemaOnline