Since its premiere on June 27, has become a phenomenon for the littlest fans of . As the voice behind the latest , couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of the next chapter of her undersea adventures. “It has been so much fun bringing this exciting, lively, and oh-so-bubbly character to life,” Harris tells ESSENCE.
“The beautiful songs she sings and hilarious quips and jokes she cracks have been incredible to portray in my own way. I loved using the words on the page to put my own spin on things.” That spin has continued – Black, red-loc’d, based in the seas of the Caribbean – and reimagined her as a precocious 8-year-old, still fascinated with human culture, but flanked by her best friends Flounder (Gracen Newton), Fernie (Cruz Flateau), and Lucia (Elizabeth Caro), with loving guidance from her father King Triton (Taye Diggs), elder twin sisters Alanna (Jessica Mikayla) and Ayanna (Dana Heath), and her beloved aunt, “Tantie” Ursula (Amber Riley).
On both and the series of shorts , Ariel and her friends learn valuable lessons about friendship, leadership, responsibility, kindness, consequences, and more with an original, often Caribbean-inspired song each episode. The vocal work and animation have been in the works for some time, and audience response since the early-summer release of its first 8 episodes has been overwhelmingly positive – leaving fans clamoring for more. “It is so rewarding being able to see our hard work on screens,” Harris says.
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