Kai Montinola on how far she’ll go for her dreams
MANILA, Philippines — It felt like a déjà vu moment interviewing Kai Montinola for Disney’s live-action “Moana.”
Ten years ago, yours truly also interviewed Janella Salvador after she was chosen to perform the Philippine version of How Far I’ll Go for the original animated film. Look how far Janella has gone since then.
Now, another young Filipina singer is marking her own Disney milestone.
Disney Philippines made a fitting choice in tapping Kai to sing Hangganan Ko, the Tagalog version of the Lin-Manuel Miranda-penned anthem, for the live-action reimagining of “Moana.”
The Cebuana singer and former “Pinoy Big Brother: Gen 11” housemate looked back on her reaction when she was initially informed about the opportunity.
“I was asked through a text message. Actually, I wasn’t even asked. I was given a heads-up, parang, ‘Gagawin mo ’to.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, talaga?’ But it wasn’t confirmed at the time,” she told The STAR during a recent interview.
When the project was finally confirmed, Kai tried not to get too excited until she was already recording the song.
“When I finally found out that it was confirmed, siyempre, I got so excited, pero hindi ko muna pinapakita ’yun,” she recalled. “I was like, ‘Talaga ba? Is this really happening? Baka bawiin.’
“But when it finally sank in, when I was doing it, I was like, ‘Wow, grabe, I’m finally doing this.’ I was so honored because they chose me to sing Hangganan Ko.”
The opportunity was especially meaningful because Kai had grown up watching and singing along to “Moana.”
She was around nine years old when the animated film came out in 2016. She remembered watching it with her cousins and friends, then singing How Far I’ll Go practically everywhere.
“I was just at home, chilling and doing my normal activities. I think I was nine years old when the first movie came out,” she said.
“Of course, hindi ko ’yan papalampasin. I had to watch it. I watched it with my cousins and friends, and I remember totally singing the song in my school — everywhere.”
We have since watched the live-action film, and How Far I’ll Go remains one of the story’s emotional anchors. The song captures Moana’s struggle between the life already laid out for her and the persistent inner voice calling her to venture outside of her island village and sail beyond the reef.
According to Kai, she could relate to that.
Moana grew up knowing that she would eventually lead the people of Motunui. In the same way, Kai felt that her own life in Cebu had already been mapped out before she decided to pursue opportunities in the entertainment industry.
“The story of Moana, her being a chief, that was instilled in her — like, ‘This is what you’re doing. Ito na ’yung gagawin mo sa buong buhay mo,’” Kai explained.
“I resonated with her in terms of that because I lived in Cebu. I had a simple life and, you know, my life was mapped out for me. I already had my foundation, parang, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’
“But just like Moana, she listened to her heart and so did I. Kaya po ako nandito right now.”
Moana has always stood apart from the traditional Disney Princess mold. Her story is not centered on finding a romantic partner. Instead, her journey is about discovering who she is, serving her community and growing into a courageous leader.
At j19, Kai is still discovering which direction her own journey will take.
Asked how far she would be willing to go for her dreams, given that the song is about following one’s inner call, she answered, “I’ll go as far as I can.”
“Siyempre, if it’s fine in my heart and my soul, and then my mind — kung alam kong tama ang ginagawa ko, hindi naman ako nakakaapak ng toes or anything — then I will go as far as I can.”
One path she is interested in exploring is musical theater.
“I do. I’m very interested in doing theater,” Kai, who has been vocal that her idol is Filipina Broadway icon Lea Salonga, admitted to The STAR.
Nevertheless, she readily acknowledged that performing onstage requires a different level of preparation, discipline and endurance.
“Theater requires so much discipline, so much strength and power. Di ba, kasi rehearsals ng theater, tuloy-tuloy ’yan,” she said.
“As much as I want to do theater, I would like to hasa muna (master or train) myself in terms of physical and mental strength.”
She is not closing the door on it, especially because theater remains close to her heart.
“If ever it is given to me and the time is right, then why not? Of course, because it’s dear to my heart.”
We previously asked Kai whether she would also consider entering pageantry someday. While she entertained the possibility, there is no need for her to rush into deciding.
She is still only 19, with enough time to explore music, acting, theater, pageantry and perhaps even opportunities she has yet to imagine.
If she continues to listen to herself and make the right choices, there is no telling how many directions her career could take. One thing’s certain, the future looks bright for Kai and she’s continuing to find out, as the song puts it, just how far she will go.
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