Hey guys!
So a few months ago I proved my status as a giant nerd both of Disney and foreign languages by sharing my favorite versions of "How Far I'll Go," my favorite song from Disney's Moana/Vaiana/Oceania.
Here are my thoughts on some more versions that weren't yet available on the Internet at that point.
Enjoy!
1) Dansk - Danish
I like this version a lot. There's not a ton I can say about this one that I haven't said about the others, but it's emotional and strong - at times maybe even a little too much so, but not so much that it makes this version unlikeable - and a pleasure to listen to. It's also very well written - one of the most beautiful lines in this version, in any version in my humble opinion, is "havets kald er så tydeligt og klart og jeg brænder," meaning "the sea's call is so loud and clear and I'm burning." It gives me goosebumps and teary eyes every time.
2) Norsk - Norwegian
People online often don't seem to like this version, saying that it's the weakest of the three Scandinavian dubs. I couldn't disagree more. Though it's true that her voice is a bit more subdued, I don't think the issue is a lack of power, just another kind of power. Her voice is still very melodious and pleasant, so I think of it as just another take on the character and the beautiful emotional articulation that is this song. Well done, Norway.
3) Svenska - Swedish
Similarly, people have criticized this one a bit as well, saying that it's weaker compared to Disney's usually stellar Swedish dubs. Again, I'm not too sure where that's coming from. I find this version to be very beautiful, the singer's voice fantastic, as well as unique, and this to be one of my favorite dubs. I'm honestly not too sure what else I can say about it, I just think it's really good.
4) Suomi - Finnish
For this version, I will be linking to a Vimeo video, as the only full video of this version on Youtube is pitched in a way that I really don't like to avoid copyright infringements, which really takes away from its beauty. But honestly, ditto to this version with everything I said about Swedish. Melodious, breathtakingly powerful (especially towards the end), very unique due to the singer, Yasmine Yamajako, having a rich, smokey voice. As she's half Finnish and half French Beninese, it's also very exciting to see Finland featuring a talented Finnish woman of color for this role. I like.
Taivaanrantaan
5) Türkçe - Turkish
6) 日本語 - Japanese
The Japanese version honestly blew me away. It's become one of my very favorites. I will admit that there are certain places, namely in the second verse, that I don't like quite as much, mainly due to the long phrasing that gets a bit cramped in there. But I also fully recognize that that's in some ways unavoidable and overall doesn't take away too much from the stellar quality of this version. Yomona Tabiku's voice is bright, clear, melodious, and compelling, and even startlingly similar at times to Auli'i Cravalho. Well done, Japan.
7) 普通话 - (Mainland) Mandarin Chinese
Chinese seems to be another language in which Disney has significantly upped the ante in terms of their dub quality. This was honestly a fantastic version in my opinion. Her voice is young and lively, but still gives powerful pushes at all the right points in the song. A delight to listen to.
That should be about all for now. I've heard a couple of videos of the Cantonese, Taiwanese Mandarin, Greek, Hungarian, and Croatian versions, which sound very promising, but they're too low quality to enjoy. When they are uploaded in better quality on Youtube, I will share those with you all as well.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy listening to these versions as well!
Have fun!
Nico
So a few months ago I proved my status as a giant nerd both of Disney and foreign languages by sharing my favorite versions of "How Far I'll Go," my favorite song from Disney's Moana/Vaiana/Oceania.
Here are my thoughts on some more versions that weren't yet available on the Internet at that point.
Enjoy!
1) Dansk - Danish
I like this version a lot. There's not a ton I can say about this one that I haven't said about the others, but it's emotional and strong - at times maybe even a little too much so, but not so much that it makes this version unlikeable - and a pleasure to listen to. It's also very well written - one of the most beautiful lines in this version, in any version in my humble opinion, is "havets kald er så tydeligt og klart og jeg brænder," meaning "the sea's call is so loud and clear and I'm burning." It gives me goosebumps and teary eyes every time.
2) Norsk - Norwegian
People online often don't seem to like this version, saying that it's the weakest of the three Scandinavian dubs. I couldn't disagree more. Though it's true that her voice is a bit more subdued, I don't think the issue is a lack of power, just another kind of power. Her voice is still very melodious and pleasant, so I think of it as just another take on the character and the beautiful emotional articulation that is this song. Well done, Norway.
3) Svenska - Swedish
Similarly, people have criticized this one a bit as well, saying that it's weaker compared to Disney's usually stellar Swedish dubs. Again, I'm not too sure where that's coming from. I find this version to be very beautiful, the singer's voice fantastic, as well as unique, and this to be one of my favorite dubs. I'm honestly not too sure what else I can say about it, I just think it's really good.
4) Suomi - Finnish
For this version, I will be linking to a Vimeo video, as the only full video of this version on Youtube is pitched in a way that I really don't like to avoid copyright infringements, which really takes away from its beauty. But honestly, ditto to this version with everything I said about Swedish. Melodious, breathtakingly powerful (especially towards the end), very unique due to the singer, Yasmine Yamajako, having a rich, smokey voice. As she's half Finnish and half French Beninese, it's also very exciting to see Finland featuring a talented Finnish woman of color for this role. I like.
Taivaanrantaan
5) Türkçe - Turkish
Much as it pains me to say it, the Turkish version is definitely not my favorite. I figured it would be nice to include it just because Turkish is such a special language to me, and I do also appreciate the fact that this version isn't terrible by any means. But overall, I found the tone and emphasis a little odd on certain parts, and the singer vocally could have been much more powerful. It's a little frustrating knowing some past Turkish dubs that have had singers with such powerful voices, and thinking how good this could have been. But overall, it's alright. :) I'll also include the Turkish version of a different song from the soundtrack, "I am Moana," as I feel that the singer's vocal talent is much more clearly and nicely put forth in that song. So here it is as well!
The Japanese version honestly blew me away. It's become one of my very favorites. I will admit that there are certain places, namely in the second verse, that I don't like quite as much, mainly due to the long phrasing that gets a bit cramped in there. But I also fully recognize that that's in some ways unavoidable and overall doesn't take away too much from the stellar quality of this version. Yomona Tabiku's voice is bright, clear, melodious, and compelling, and even startlingly similar at times to Auli'i Cravalho. Well done, Japan.
Chinese seems to be another language in which Disney has significantly upped the ante in terms of their dub quality. This was honestly a fantastic version in my opinion. Her voice is young and lively, but still gives powerful pushes at all the right points in the song. A delight to listen to.
That should be about all for now. I've heard a couple of videos of the Cantonese, Taiwanese Mandarin, Greek, Hungarian, and Croatian versions, which sound very promising, but they're too low quality to enjoy. When they are uploaded in better quality on Youtube, I will share those with you all as well.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy listening to these versions as well!
Have fun!
Nico
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