Can we just talk about how incredibly TALENTED Disney performers are?! Okay, you already knew that, but it deserves to be said again — Disney performers are AWESOME.

There are so many incredible singers, dancers, and more in Disney World — from the singers and acrobats at Festival of the Lion King to the Voices of Liberty singers who give us goosebumps, and everyone in between. And there are even more incredible performers who fans can watch in their favorite Disney Broadway shows. But, some Disney performers just go to the next level. One Disney performer, in particular, took her music-driven career in a direction you might not expect!

We’re talking about Eli Zaelo! Recently the South China Morning Post highlighted Zaleo’s story and it’s one we just had to share.

Eli Zaelo is just 27 years old. She grew up in South Africa but moved to Hong Kong in 2015 to take on the role of Nala in The Lion King musical in Hong Kong Disneyland. That alone is pretty great, but her story gets even more interesting from there.

After spending about a year and a half on the Disney stage, Zaelo decided to follow her passions somewhere else — to a life filled with C-pop! C-pop is Mando-pop and Canto-pop. That’s right, Zaelo went from living in South Africa to performing in Hong Kong Disneyland to becoming a Chinese-language singer.

Zaelo notes that the C-pop industry is one she wasn’t even aware of before!

Zaelo actually went back to Africa after finishing with Disney, got a tutor, shared that she wanted to go back to Hong Kong and sing in Mandarin, and the rest is history. Zaelo started by recording covers of songs. She has since released 2 original songs on her YouTube channel and is trying to bridge the cultural gap between Africa and Asia. Zaelo has shared that she thinks singing in local languages can help bridge cultural divides.

Check out the video below to see an interview with Zaelo as she talks about her transition into the C-pop scene, the other things she’s working on, and more!

If you want to hear more of Zaelo’s music, you can check out her YouTube page.

Just goes to show you, you never know what might be in store in your future. You might even get into an industry you weren’t even aware of before, just like Zaelo! We’ll keep an eye out for more unique Disney stories and be sure to share them all with you.

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Have you listened to any C-pop music or visited Hong Kong Disneyland? Let us know in the comments below!

The post VIDEO: See How One Former Disney Performer Went From The Lion King Musical to C-Pop! first appeared on the disney food blog.