Chartbusters Sol3 Mio Poised to Tackle the World

Fresh from performing the New Zealand national anthem in Chicago for a rare rugby match between the USA Eagles and world-champion All Blacks, operatic trio Sol3 Mio are hoping for many more thumping victories when they hit the road proper in the US and Europe in 2015.

The classical-crossover trio, comprising two tenor brothers, Amitai Pati and Pene Pati, and their baritone cousin Moses Mackay, all from Samoan heritage, have enjoyed the big ride. But they’re not taking anything too seriously.

“’Big’ for the three of us is an understatement at the moment,” Pene says. “It’s shot off like a rocket this year.”

The group’s self-titled debut album has enjoyed 16 non-consecutive weeks at No 1, and it’s now seven-times platinum certified (105,000 units) in New Zealand.

“It’s the weirdest thing looking back to the 12 months before when literally nothing was happening. When they told us in the first week that we’d sold that amount of albums, we’d had a chuckle to ourselves. We said, ‘oh well it’s just the first week.’ After 12 weeks at No 1, it was kind of crazy.”

The album has landed at No 6 in Australia, and cracked the Top 50 in the UK Sol3 Mio (pronounced Sole Mio) are represented by Saiko Management, the Auckland-based firm that also guides the career of Lorde.

Original article by Lars Brandle, Billboard, December 17, 2014.