Sol3 Mio

Sol3 Mio is a singing trio of Samoa descended New Zealanders, form in January 2012 at the New Zealand Opera School. The reason for this formation was to raise sufficient funds for the three of them to go and further with their musical studies in Cardiff, Wales at the Wales International Academy of Voice. Before the group was formed, Moses MacKay (18 years old in 2008), a cousin to both Pene and Amitai, Pene Pati (23 years old in 2008) and his brother Amitai Pati (21 years old in 2008) were among five that sung the background vocals for the tour of Andrea Bocelli, the famous Italian tenor. Another tenor, a Welsh, Dennis O’Neill, handpicked the three to further their music studies in Wales, and in the year 2012, they hired halls around the country to perform seeking funds for their intended stay in Wales. They travelled and performed in other cities too on their way to Wales. https://youtu.be/C4noB9VAyuM

Later, the brothers Amitai and Pene both earned prestigious scholarships to study at the San Francisco Opera Adler Fellowship program. Both Amitai and Pene are tenors with powerful voices and both are considered leading opera singers of their generation. Moses, on the other hand is a baritone.

The trio gained attention in New Zealand and beyond after their debut self-titled album was released in November 2013. This album reached the number one spot on the New Zealand music charts consistently for sixteen weeks and was also one of the highest selling albums in the country’s history. Their distinctive blend of classical opera with contemporary popular music, as well as their incorporation of Samoan culture and elements, set them apart from other performers.

The trio is heavily involved in numerous charitable and fundraising causes, often lending their talents to help those in need. They have worked with organizations such as the Heart Foundation and KidsCan, as well as organizing benefit concerts aimed at raising funds for disaster relief efforts or supporting community initiatives.

Sol3 Mio 是萨摩亚后裔新西兰人的歌唱三重奏组，于 2012 年 1 月在新西兰歌剧学校成立。成立这个组合的原因是为了筹集足够的资金，让他们三人能够在威尔士国际声乐学院的卡迪夫进一步深造音乐。在乐队成立之前，Pene 和 Amitai 的堂兄 Moses MacKay（2008 年 18 岁）、Pene Pati（2008 年 23 岁）和他的兄弟 Amitai Pati（2008 年 21 岁）是演唱的五位成员之一意大利著名男高音安德烈·波切利 (Andrea Bocelli) 巡演的背景声乐。另一位威尔士男高音丹尼斯·奥尼尔 (Dennis O'Neill) 精心挑选了这三人，以在威尔士继续他们的音乐研究，并在 2012 年，他们在全国各地租用音乐厅演出，为他们打算在威尔士逗留的资金筹集资金。他们在前往威尔士的途中也在其他城市旅行和表演。 https://youtu.be/C4noB9VAyuM   
后来，Amitai 和 Pene 兄弟都获得了著名的奖学金，可以在旧金山歌剧院阿德勒奖学金计划中学习。阿米泰和佩内都是嗓音浑厚的男高音，都被认为是他们这一代歌剧的领军人物。另一方面，摩西是男中音。  

Sol3 Mio’s journey has inspired many up-and-coming musicians in both Samoan and New Zealander communities. They have demonstrated the importance of maintaining cultural identity while striving for success in the global music scene. Their commitment to their heritage, love of music, immense talent, and magnetic personalities have solidified Sol3 Mio’s reputation as a unique and powerful force in the world of classified crossover music.

三人组于 2013 年 11 月发行首张同名专辑后在新西兰及其他地区受到关注。这张专辑连续 16 周在新西兰音乐排行榜上排名第一，也是新西兰销量最高的专辑之一国家的历史。他们将古典歌剧与当代流行音乐的独特融合，以及他们对萨摩亚文化和元素的融合，使他们从其他表演者中脱颖而出。
三人积极参与众多慈善和筹款活动，经常发挥自己的才能帮助有需要的人。他们与心脏基金会和 KidsCan 等组织合作，并组织了旨在为救灾工作或支持社区活动筹集资金的慈善音乐会。Sol3 Mio 的旅程激励了萨摩亚和新西兰社区的许多崭露头角的音乐家。他们证明了在全球音乐界取得成功的同时保持文化认同的重要性。他们对传统的承诺、对音乐的热爱、巨大的才华和富有魅力的个性巩固了 Sol3 Mio 作为分类跨界音乐世界中一支独特而强大的力量的声誉。

Their biography Entitled Sol3 Mio Our Story is worth reading. It was written in dialogue fashion with quotes from everyone in the Pati family members and cousin Moses. We have composed a poem to these trio thus:

=== In harmony, they rise, three voices strong, From vibrant roots, a proud Samoan song,

With echoes of a lineage skilled and true, Amitai, Pene, Moses, Sol3 Mio’s crew.

=== Their melodies unite as one, they soar, Their passion guides, transcending even more,

An opera journey taken hand in hand, A Samoan powerhouse, a gifted band.

=== On distant shores where San Francisco lies, They honed their craft, met the opera skies,

Two brothers, one cousin, a bond so rare, The golden notes of music filled the air.

=== From humble origins, their voices fuse, Infinite talent, a gift they kindly choose,

To share with all, across the vast divide, Of creed and culture, on this earthly ride.

=== So let us celebrate Sol3 Mio’s gift, Their opera songs, which loudly can uplift,

The joyous bond of music in our lives, For Sol3 Mio sings, and their art thrives.

他们的传记 Sol3 Mio Our Story 值得一读。它以对话的方式写成，引用了 Pati 家族成员和表弟摩西的每个人的话。我们为这三人组写了一首诗：   
=== 在和谐中，他们升起，三个强大的声音， 从生机勃勃的根源，一首骄傲的萨摩亚歌曲，
Amitai、Pene、Moses 和 Sol3 Mio 的船员有着熟练而真实的血统。
=== 他们的旋律合而为一，他们翱翔，他们的激情引导，超越更多，
手牵手的歌剧之旅，萨摩亚强国，有天赋的乐队。
=== 在旧金山所在的遥远海岸，他们磨练技艺，遇见歌剧般的天空，
两个兄弟，一个堂兄，如此难得的纽带， 金色的音符弥漫在空气中。
=== 出身卑微，声声交融， 天资无限，心意相赠，
在这尘世的旅程中，跨越巨大的鸿沟，与所有人分享信仰和文化。
=== 所以让我们庆祝 Sol3 Mio 的礼物，他们的歌剧歌曲，大声可以提升，
我们生活中音乐的欢乐纽带，For Sol3 Mio 唱歌，他们的艺术蓬勃发展。

Let us take a break to listen to the songs sung by this trio.

Yellow Bird: https://youtu.be/XkbUEM7yt48

O Sole Mio https://youtu.be/YQxREONPOnc

Nessun Dorma: https://youtu.be/KoNbSm6bGG0

The Rose: https://youtu.be/Kcci1JtzV0c

Ten Guitars: https://youtu.be/P8qYxV7YnKI

My Way: https://youtu.be/7e1GGoO-xlQ

I See Fire: https://youtu.be/Mc3etB-2-p0

O Holy Night: https://youtu.be/jphu9wWCrRI

=====

Excerpts from the book: “Sol3 Mio Our Story” by Moses MacKay, Amitai Pati & Pene Pati

Prologue: Vector Arena, Auckland: 29 March 2014. (page 7) Pene Pati: “… But as I sat at the piano in front of more than 4,000 people at Vector Arena, I was overcome with emotion, and I couldn’t talk, let alone sing. I was supposed to start playing the Bette Midler’s hit ‘The Rose’ but all I could do was look at the keyboard and try to pull myself together. … I remember the time that I had been a member of the security team at Vector … … earning money while I was at university. Dressed in my high-visibility jacket, I had stood with my back to the stage, keeping an eye on the crowd while the American band Matchbox Twenty performed. Now I was on stage singing with my brother Amitai and our cousin Moses … … I had just done my usual spiel about ‘The Rose’ being my Mum’s favourite song, and how she used to listen as Amitai and me, along with our sisters, Torres and Evangeline, would sing it for the old folks at the rest home where our parents worked. … … I’m thankful to my Dad for making me sing at the rest home … … and I’m dedicating this to my Mum, who is here in the audience, and to Moses’ Mum. who is here too.”

Page 9: Amitai Pati: “Towards the end of the show Pene and I sang ‘Nessun Dorma (Mum’s favourite song) together. I always find it emotional to perform this aria, not just because it’s so beautiful, but also because I’m singing it with my big brother (in front my Mum, and) at Vector. I felt so proud of what we have achieved. We’ve come a long way … …”

Page 10: Moses MacKay: “I don’t usually get too nervous before shows, but I had started feeling jittery and unsettled when we were backstage at Vector waiting to go on. … … Knowing my family and some friends were in the audience also made that show nerve-raking. It is much easier to perform when you don’t know anyone in the crowd. … … At the end, it was an incredible feeling as thousands of people gave us a standing ovation. It was a huge achievement for us, and a very long way from our humble beginnings.”

Page 13: We are Samoa: Pene Pati: “Money was tight, especially when we were small. There were times when we would go off to school with very little for lunch so my parents would say, “Drink the water from the tap. That will fill you up.” But they always did their very best for us.”

Page 20: Juliet (the Mum): “They think we don’t know they used to pretend to be doing prayers when we phoned. We’re the parents, we know everything, and we’re not the only ones. Their father would say, ‘They can laugh, but God knows everything.”

Pene: “My Dad is an incredible role model. One of the things that I really admire about him is his astounding generosity. Even when we would have next to nothing in our house, he would give things away to other people. My uncle was very poor, and my Dad would do the shopping and then give it to him. ‘What did you do that for? We needed that. What about us?’ Dad would just say, ‘It’s all right, the good Lord will help us. … … The blessing will come back to us, even if it doesn’t come back to me, it will come back to you kids.’ “

Page 41: Terence Maskell, former Head of Music, Aorere College: “I felt that it was up to them - if singing was what they wanted - to strive for it. I also felt that there would be people along the way who would be prepared to help them. And, as it has happened, that has been the case.”

Page 59: Pene: “It was emotional saying goodbye to everyone at the airport as I left to go to the UK in September 2011. Leaving my family behind was hard for me, and while going to live on the other side of the world was very exciting, it was also quite scary.”

Page 69: Amitai: “My earliest memory are of singing. Our house was always full of music. Dad was always picking up his guitar to sing, and Pene sang all the time, so I join in.”

Page 95: Moses MacKay: “Singing is something I have always been able to do. I’m one of four children and we all sing, so I never really thought much about it.”

Page 103: Penina Felise-MacKay, Moses’ Mum: “Moses couldn’t actually read music, but would hear something on the radio and sit down at the piano and play it. Victor and I used to think, “How does he do that?”

Page 125: Moses MacKay: “When I went to the University of Auckland to do my Bachelor of Music I was accepted into the classical music class, but I didn’t understand what classical music was. It is so embarrassing to admit this now, but I thought it was Nat King Cole and the Rat Pack.”

Page 201: Pene: “We’re just three ordinary guys, and we’re not the sort to turn into divos, demanding our hotel room be stocked with white M&M’s! “