Music Metrics Vault

Opetaia Foa'i

Data updated on 2025-02-07 08:31:20 UTC
Opetaia Foa'i is a Samoa-born, New Zealand-based singer and songwriter best known for leading the Polynesian worldbeat group Te Vaka. He also co-wrote the original songs in the Disney animated film Moana.

Foa'i was raised in a thatched-roof Tokelauan community in Alamagoto, Samoa until he moved to Auckland, New Zealand with his uncle at the age of nine. The extended family eventually shared a flat there, and Foa'i picked up English on his own at school without any formal help. His Samoan community had been a musical one, and he took note of the tuning differences on guitar between there and his adopted culture.

Over 20 years later in 1995, Foa'i would found Te Vaka, a group of musicians and dancers from throughout the South Pacific. They won fans with their harmonies and mix of traditional and contemporary instruments and rhythms beginning with 1996's Original Contemporary Pacific Music (also known as Te Vaka). The album soon received wider distribution on various labels, including a 1997 U.S. release on Arc Music. Te Vaka went on to issue albums every two to four years over the next two decades, with 2004's Tutuki winning Best Pacific Music Album at the New Zealand Music Awards -- one of many New Zealand, Polynesian, South Pacific, and world-music accolades over their career. The group's songs are delivered in a variety of regional languages, but most often in Foa'i's native Tokelauan.

In November 2016, Foa'i's songwriting came to the attention of international film audiences with the release of Disney's Moana. The animated musical featured a score by Mark Mancina (Disney's Tarzan) and songs co-written by Foa'i, Mancina, and Hamilton: An American Musical auteur Lin-Manuel Miranda. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi

Genres

: movie tunes

Total plays

992.2 million
Updated on 2025-02-07

Social media links

Monthly listeners

3,667,126

Followers

18,889

Top Cities

  1. Australia
    53,463 listeners
  2. Brazil
    36,357 listeners
  3. Chile
    42,999 listeners
  4. Australia
    41,166 listeners
  5. United Kingdom
    42,042 listeners

Related artists

Olivia Foa'i
Olivia Foa'i
Talaga Steve Sale
Talaga Steve Sale
Vai Mahina
Vai Mahina
Cast - Frozen
Cast - Frozen
Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick
Te Vaka
Te Vaka
Wish - Cast
Wish - Cast
Ariana DeBose
Ariana DeBose
Reese Witherspoon

Most popular tracks

Track Plays Duration Release date
We Know The Way - From "Vaiana"
We Know The Way - From "Vaiana"
254,149,674 2:21 2016-11-11
Know Who You Are
Know Who You Are
128,273,481 1:13 2016-11-18
Ni Shi Shui
Ni Shi Shui
128,273,481 1:13 2016-11-18
Logo Te Pate
Logo Te Pate
117,377,814 2:10 2016-11-18
We Know The Way - Finale
We Know The Way - Finale
87,041,631 1:09 2016-11-18
Saber volver
Saber volver
21,855,549 2:22 2016-12-02
L'explorateur
L'explorateur
13,514,207 2:22 2016-11-18
Quién eres
Quién eres
12,920,807 1:15 2016-12-02
Wir kennen den Weg
Wir kennen den Weg
12,617,205 2:21 2016-12-16
The Return to Voyaging
The Return to Voyaging
11,214,964 1:02 2016-11-18
Voyager Tagaloa
Voyager Tagaloa
10,986,289 0:57 2016-11-18
Te Ka Attacks
Te Ka Attacks
10,925,867 1:41 2016-11-18
Te Fiti Restored
Te Fiti Restored
10,892,009 1:03 2016-11-18
Sails to Te Fiti
Sails to Te Fiti
10,195,224 5:46 2016-11-18
Pra Ir Além
Pra Ir Além
8,742,321 2:21 2016-12-09
Vi finner vei
Vi finner vei
7,732,205 2:21 2016-11-18
Vi kender vejen
Vi kender vejen
7,732,205 2:21 2017-01-27
Vi finner väg
Vi finner väg
7,732,205 2:21 2017-01-27
Mana Vavau
Mana Vavau
7,556,896 1:31 2024-11-22
Te Fiti
Te Fiti
7,083,740 1:15 2016-11-18
Wer du bist
Wer du bist
6,632,149 1:13 2016-12-16
Hvem du er
Hvem du er
6,632,149 1:13 2016-11-18
Du ved hvem du er
Du ved hvem du er
6,632,149 1:13 2017-01-27
L'explorateur - Final
L'explorateur - Final
6,165,062 1:11 2016-11-18
My Wish For You (Innocent Warrior)
My Wish For You (Innocent Warrior)
5,481,808 0:53 2024-11-22
Teu Nome eu Sei
Teu Nome eu Sei
4,908,270 1:13 2016-12-09
Saber volver - Final
Saber volver - Final
4,760,464 1:11 2016-12-02
Un nuevo hogar - Final
Un nuevo hogar - Final
4,677,786 1:09 2016-12-02
Nuku O Kaiga
Nuku O Kaiga
4,097,326 1:10 2024-11-22
Wir kennen den Weg - Finale
Wir kennen den Weg - Finale
4,090,382 1:09 2016-12-16
Un nuevo hogar
Un nuevo hogar
3,587,634 2:21 2016-12-02
We Know The Way (Te Fenua te Malie)
We Know The Way (Te Fenua te Malie)
3,466,973 1:28 2024-11-22
La strada di casa
La strada di casa
3,406,923 2:21 2016-12-16
Na drodze tej - z filmu "Vaiana - Skarb Oceanu" / Ścieżka dźwiękowa polskiej wersji
Na drodze tej - z filmu "Vaiana - Skarb Oceanu" / Ścieżka dźwiękowa polskiej wersji
3,153,872 2:21 2016-11-18
Quién eres de verdad
Quién eres de verdad
2,635,830 1:13 2016-12-02
Para Ir Além - Final
Para Ir Além - Final
2,512,766 1:09 2016-12-09
Tu sai chi sei
Tu sai chi sei
2,245,031 1:13 2016-12-16
Du vet vem du är
Du vet vem du är
2,232,595 1:13 2017-01-27
De juiste weg
De juiste weg
2,231,185 2:21 2016-11-18
Vi finner vei - Finale
Vi finner vei - Finale
1,953,034 1:09 2016-11-18
Vi kender vejen - Finale
Vi kender vejen - Finale
1,953,034 1:09 2017-01-27
Znajdź swoje ja
Znajdź swoje ja
1,725,923 1:13 2016-11-18
Jij weet wie je bent
Jij weet wie je bent
1,460,193 1:13 2016-11-18
Vi finner väg - Final
Vi finner väg - Final
1,453,115 1:09 2017-01-27
La strada di casa - Finale
La strada di casa - Finale
1,347,741 1:09 2016-12-16
We Know The Way (Te Fenua te Malie)
We Know The Way (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-22
Ki Uta E (Te Fenua te Malie)
Ki Uta E (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-22
Un nuevo hogar (Te Fenua te Malie)
Un nuevo hogar (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-22
Wir kennen den Weg (Te Fenua te Malie)
Wir kennen den Weg (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-22
L'explorateur (Te Fenua te Malie)
L'explorateur (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-22
Na drodze tej (Te Fenua te Malie)
Na drodze tej (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-22
Vi kender vejen (Te Fenua te Malie)
Vi kender vejen (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-29
De juiste weg (Te Fenua te Malie)
De juiste weg (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-22
Tunnemme tien (Te Fenua te Malie)
Tunnemme tien (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-29
Vi Finner Väg (Te Fenua te Malie)
Vi Finner Väg (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-29
Vi finner vei (Te Fenua te Malie)
Vi finner vei (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-29
Encontrar Um Lar (Te Fenua te Malie)
Encontrar Um Lar (Te Fenua te Malie)
1,321,492 1:28 2024-11-22
We Know The Way (Ki Uta E)
We Know The Way (Ki Uta E)
1,309,681 2:21 2017-11-03
Na drodze tej - Finał
Na drodze tej - Finał
1,158,880 1:09 2016-11-18
De juiste weg - Finale
De juiste weg - Finale
1,080,282 1:09 2016-11-18
Pra Ir Além (Te Fenua te Malie)
Pra Ir Além (Te Fenua te Malie)
654,217 1:28 2024-11-22
A nuestro hogar (Te Fenua te Malie)
A nuestro hogar (Te Fenua te Malie)
654,217 1:28 2024-11-22
Đường Dài Đi Mãi (Te Fenua te Malie)
Đường Dài Đi Mãi (Te Fenua te Malie)
654,217 1:28 2024-11-22
We Know The Way (Te Fenua te Malie)
We Know The Way (Te Fenua te Malie)
654,217 1:28 2024-11-25
Gil-eul Al-a
Gil-eul Al-a
425,797 2:21 2017-01-13
Pesnya morekhodov
Pesnya morekhodov
425,797 2:21 2016-12-02
Qian Shan Wan Shui
Qian Shan Wan Shui
425,797 2:21 2016-11-18
Tunnemme tien
Tunnemme tien
385,614 2:21 2016-11-18
Tule kuorestasi
Tule kuorestasi
350,133 1:13 2016-11-18
Encontrar Um Lar
Encontrar Um Lar
270,253 2:21 2016-11-18
We Know The Way (Ki Uta E) - Finale
We Know The Way (Ki Uta E) - Finale
229,759 1:09 2017-11-03
Quem Tu És
Quem Tu És
198,411 1:13 2016-11-18
Tunnemme tien - Repriisi
Tunnemme tien - Repriisi
179,604 1:09 2016-11-18
Kto ty
Kto ty
153,220 1:13 2016-12-02
Encontrar Um Lar - Final
Encontrar Um Lar - Final
141,998 1:09 2016-11-18
Pesnya morekhodov (reprisa)
Pesnya morekhodov (reprisa)
139,264 1:09 2016-12-02
We Know the Way
We Know the Way
130,219 2:26 2017-03-01
Gil-eul Al-a - Finale
Gil-eul Al-a - Finale
102,008 1:09 2017-01-13
Qian Shan Wan Shui - Finale
Qian Shan Wan Shui - Finale
102,008 1:09 2016-11-18
La strada di casa (Te Fenua te Malie)
La strada di casa (Te Fenua te Malie)
99,287 1:28 2024-11-22
Neo-neun Neo-rul Aljana - Live
Neo-neun Neo-rul Aljana - Live
67,255 1:13 2017-01-13
Waves Like Mountains
Waves Like Mountains
54,176 1:38 2024-11-25
Ta'okota'i - Cook Island Themed Meditation
Ta'okota'i - Cook Island Themed Meditation
13,054 20:04 2022-08-12
Kelekele
Kelekele
6,974 20:04 2022-11-21
Galuega
Galuega
3,660 20:04 2022-10-14
Mai E
Mai E
3,431 20:02 2022-11-21
Paturu
Paturu
2,271 20:04 2022-11-21

New releases

Paturu
Paturu
2022-11-21
[HAAAA Productions]
Mai E
Mai E
2022-11-21
[HAAAA Productions]
Kelekele
Kelekele
2022-11-21
[HAAAA Productions]
Galuega
Galuega
2022-10-14
[HAAAA Productions]
Ta'okota'i (Cook Island Themed Meditation)
Ta'okota'i (Cook Island Themed Meditation)
2022-08-12
[HAAAA]
We Know The Way (From "Vaiana")
We Know The Way (From "Vaiana")
2016-11-11
[Walt Disney Records]
We Know The Way (From "Moana")
We Know The Way (From "Moana")
2016-11-11
[Walt Disney Records]
We Know The Way (From "Oceania")
We Know The Way (From "Oceania")
2016-11-11
[Walt Disney Records]