The trio of Pene and Amitai Pati and Moses Mackay, who make up the pop-opera group Sol3 Mio, are going their separate ways.
The brothers and their cousin announced during their show at Villa Maria Estate Winery in Auckland on Sunday that their February-March national tour will be the last chance to see the guys perform together as they are each looking to pursue their individual opera careers abroad.
“We’ve always wanted to bring opera to people who probably wouldn’t listen to it otherwise,” said Moses to New Zealand Women’s Weekly before news broke of Sol3 Mio’s split. “And it is awesome that we’ve been able to do that over the last couple of years with Sol3 Mio. But we don’t just want to be seen as a novelty; these three opera guys on the side doing their thing. What’s interesting is that people obviously want to listen to our music, which is evident from the fact that we’ve sold so many albums, yet we don’t get played on the radio. Imagine if we did!”
“This will always be home, no matter where our careers take us,” Pene told the magazine. “We will always come back. You’re not going to get rid of us that easily!”
After Christmas, Pene will marry his love Amina, and says he’ll be “dragging these guys along with me to help”.
Sol3 Mio on what Christmas means to them:
“Family,” chorus Pene, Amitai and Moses.
“For us, it is about being around or families, being happy and relaxed, and just enjoying the day,” says Pene.
“And food,” adds Moses.
WATCH: Sol3 Mio ‘I See Fire’
Christmas Day grinners Moses (left) with his brother Marley.
Moses got his love of singing from his dad Victor.
