A Lively Adventure

Vivo is a new animated musical. It’s out now in theaters and on Netflix. The main character is a kinkajou. That’s a rainforest mammal also known as a honey bear. In the film, Vivo spends his days playing music in Cuba. He plays with his human, Andrés.

Then Vivo sets off on an adventure. He needs to deliver a letter to Marta. That’s Andrés’s long-lost love. Vivo must travel to faraway places to reach her. He gets help from a 10-year-old named Gabi.

Ynairaly Simo, 14, voices Gabi. Ynairaly has been acting since she was 5. She also loves music. Vivo features a song called “My Own Drum,” which Ynairaly got to perform solo. “It was so much fun! It was my first time at a recording studio recording a song,” she told TIME for Kids.

Playing Gabi wasn’t hard, Ynairaly says, because she and the character are so similar.

“I admire that she doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her and that she does whatever makes her feel happy,” Ynairaly says.