Colors of the Wind | Anna Rose & Alan Menken | 2020 IGTV Performance

Here's a performance of "Colors of the Wind" from the film Pocahontas, performed by singer-songwriter Anna Rose and the composer, and her father, Alan Menekn. Pocahontas was the fourth collaboration between Disney and Menken, and Menken's first collaboration with Stephen Schwartz.
Anna released on April 28, 2020 on her Instagram, writing, "Grateful for this time with my dad and to revisit these beautiful songs that I truthfully couldn’t appreciate growing up. Little known fact: I sang the original demos for a lot of his projects, but I couldn’t really connect to them, as I was so hungry to find my own artistic voice. We’ve been performing a lot together lately & these moments are so special to me now. I wanted to share this one with you all, as it always rings true for me."
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Following his work on the film The Rescuers Down Under, director Mike Gabriel was eager to collaborate with veteran Disney story artist Joe Grant (who's work with the company began on the 1933 short Mickey's Gala Premier) and began brainstorming ideas for a project based on a famous Western legend over Thanksgiving weekend in 1990. After considering legends such as Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, and Pecos Bill, Gabriel landed on the story of Pocahontas.
Using an image of Tiger Lily from the film Peter Pan, Gabriel pitched the idea at a Disney "gong show meeting" as the story of a Native American princess "who is torn between her father's wishes to destroy the English settlers and her wishes to help them - a girl caught between her father and her people, and her love for the enemy." Peter Schneider, president of Walt Disney Feature Animation at the time, was particularly interested in the project after noticing similarities between Gabriel's pitch and an animated adaptation of Romeo and Juliet he was working on. Schneider later recalled "We were particularly interested in exploring the theme of 'If we don't learn to live with one another, we will destroy ourselves." The pitch was quickly accepted, the fastest story turnaround in Disney history. After the unexpected success of Beauty and the Beast -- the first, and so far only, animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture -- studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg pushed for the film to be more mature and serious in tone.
Intended to be the fourth Ashman & Menken project at Disney, to follow their work on Aladdin, lyricist Howard Ashman died on March 14, 1991 before work could begin. Tim Rice, who had been brought on to finish Aladdin, was soon considered for the job of Pocahontas' lyricist. However, Menken (a New York native) found writing with Rice at his London home to be difficult. As Rice was frequently traveling for other commitments, and it became difficult for he and Menken to collaborate, Menken suggested New York based Stephen Schwartz for the project instead, and Schwartz signed on. (At the time, Schwartz was in the process of leaving the entertainment industry and taking courses on psychology at New York University.)
TAGS: #AnnaRose #AlanMenken #ColorsOfTheWind #Pocahontas #StephenSchwartz

[@legendsofarahma8221]

One of the best songs ever written!

[@julienpernet6150]

Alan Menken is just wonderfull

[@vattanaktv5082]

the earth whispers to the ears of human through this song

[@seanhorace925]

Wonderful that Alan Menken had his daughter singing a song he collaborated on for Disney! Stay safe!!!!

[@DaSupermanOf1990]

One of my dreams is to make a documentary or biopic film about Menken and Ashman

[@jexuxin]

Me encantaria que hicieran una pelicula biopic sobre Alan Menken y Howars Ashman, y como juntos hicieron que Disney renaciera creando unas bandas sonoras y canciones inolvidables que son ya parte de la historia del cine y la cultura popular!

[@Cartmanmesiter]

Thaks for all the info. As a big fan of Alan Menken i really apreciate!

[@RobinJKahn]

Love it!!! Thank you for writing this song...it brings tears of joy each time I hear it and each time I sing it!

[@ckliffames1]

Boy I needed this today...

[@pamelalevine2394]

The Menken Girls were part of Stuart's Birthday when we did our version of Peter Pan and HOOK!! Nora was TINKER BELL and Anna was a Mermaid! TOO CUTE!! I may need to find old photos. Sending LOVE THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!!!

[@GerardoTonella]

Beautiful!!!💖

[@MrGabeanator]

wow

[@laurenj4559]

Magical