Disney: Are Mulan and Jasmine the Same Voice?
Voicing a Disney princess is pretty special but voicing two Disney princesses is even more magical. Lea Salonga is known as a Disney legend for her role with animated movies like Aladdin and Mulan.
Here’s what we know about this actor.
Lea Salonga appeared as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from ‘Aladdin’
Released in 1992, Disney’s Aladdin told the story of one “diamond in the rough” who fell in love with a princess. Princess Jasmine was voiced by Linda Larkin, however, the singing voice of this princess was Salonga.
Jasmine only sang on “A Whole New World,” but appeared as a main character during the animated film, offering advice and kindness to Aladdin. Disney then remade this movie with Naomi Scott acting as their Disney princess, even giving her the solo song, “Speechless.”
Lea Salonga also appeared as the singing voice of Mulan
In 1998, Salonga returned to the world of Disney. She appeared as the singing voice of the courageous and fearless war hero, Mulan, performing songs like “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” “A Girl Worth Fighting For,” and the iconic song, “Reflection.”
For the live-action adaptation of Mulan, Christina Aguilera did an adaptation of “Reflection,” which was included in the film’s original soundtrack. This live-action adaptation also included the new song, “Loyal Brave True.” Since appearing in Disney’s animated films, Salonga went on to star in several movies and even on Broadway.
Lea Salonga shared the ‘most rewarding’ part of voicing Mulan and Jasmine
As the singing voice of Mulan and Jasmine, Salonga has her songs available on multiple streaming services. During one interview with Teen Vogue, this actor shared her experience and what was the most rewarding part of her time working with Disney.
“You’re really lucky if you get to sing because the music has a life beyond the films,” Salonga said. “There was a time when Disney was coming out with platinum editions of the movies and released them for a limited time. So the movies wouldn’t always be around, but for some reason, the music was always easy to access. You can find ‘A Whole New World’ on YouTube…”
“And also me singing the music wherever I go, whenever I do concerts there seems to be an expectation for me to do the songs,” she continued. “I don’t begrudge the expectation because I enjoy the songs. I really like the music anyway, so it’s all good. Yeah, the music just seems to take on a whole different life.”
Disney movies featuring the voice of Salonga, including Mulan and Aladdin, are available on Disney’s streaming platform, as are the live-action adaptations of the animated classics. To learn more about Disney+ and to subscribe, visit their website.