There’s a moving scene in the documentary Tenor: My Name is Pati that will have filmgoers reaching for the tissues. In it, Samoan-Kiwi singer Pene Pati is in his dressing room at New York’s prestigious Metropolitan Opera, preparing to make his debut. It’s a massive milestone in his life and he’s tense. Then the door opens and in comes his family, having made the trip from New Zealand to surprise him.
The tears flow as an emotional Pene hugs his parents, Pene Sr and Juliet, and his two older sisters, Torres and Evangeline.
Recalling the moment, Pene, who recently made a whirlwind trip home to promote the movie, says, “It was exactly what I needed. There had been a moment when I was rehearsing and I thought, ‘I wish my family could be here to see this.’
“There are so many shows I have done across the world and I’ve never had any family at them. I thought, ‘I wish I could look out and see them there.’ And then they walked in.”
For Pene and his younger brother Amitai, also an exceptionally talented professional opera singer, family is everything. The siblings, who are two-thirds of the top-selling trio Sol3 Mio, are driven to succeed to honour their family.
Family first
“It’s always been our mentality that we do it for our family, not just ourselves,” says Pene, 38.
“My family has always been my motivation and my inspiration.”
Torres, known as Res, explains that the four Pati children have essentially always functioned as a unit.
“When we were kids, if one of us got punished, we all got punished. Now the boys’ success is our success.”
A story worth telling
Pene admits it took a bit of convincing when documentary filmmaker Rebecca Tansley approached him about making a movie about his and Amitai’s journey from their humble beginnings in Samoa and South Auckland to performing all over the world.
He wasn’t sure if their story was worth telling on the big screen, but now concedes it’s a powerful representation of how they’ve got to where they are and the obstacles they’ve overcome along the way – including being told they’d never make it as opera singers. Described as one of the best tenors of his generation, Pene hopes it will inspire others to follow their dreams.
From the outset, his family had to be a big part of the project.
Pene says, “When it was brought to my attention that this was more than just a story about opera, it was about how we came through, the family had to be involved – whether they liked it or not!”
Proud sisters
Res and Evangeline are incredibly proud of their brothers, but not surprised by how well they’ve done.
Evangeline enthuses, “I believe you are meant to be where you are meant to be and I feel like both boys were always meant to sing – it’s their God-given talent.”
A gifted future
Amitai – who’s currently performing in Europe and was unable to travel to New Zealand for the movie premiere – was more shy and less likely to burst into song than his brother as a child. Pene seemed destined for the stage because, as a youngster, he sang constantly and relished performing. As children, they put on concerts at the rest home their dad managed. But the scale of his success has been astounding. His 2025 debut in the leading role in Rigoletto at the Met in New York came just weeks after he debuted at the Royal Opera House in London.
Last year, he also won a top international award for his recording of Nessun Dorma and was named an Arts Foundation Te Tumi Toi Laureate. Another highlight was headlining the 2024 Bastille Day concert in Paris, where he is now based with his wife Amina Edris, 35, an Egyptian-Kiwi soprano. But he hasn’t changed, reckon his sisters.
Still the same kids
“When he and Amitai come home, they are still those kids from South Auckland,” Evangeline says.
“They still complain about the price of Big Ben Pies!”
Pene, Res, and Evangeline, who were born in Samoa and emigrated to New Zealand as young children, are pleased with how the film portrays the importance of their culture.
Pene says that, as well as using his singing talent to honour his family, it’s vital to honour his Samoan heritage and community.
He explains,“I am the emotional artist. I am because of my culture and the people.”
The future of Sol3 Mio
Whenever he’s home, Pene always gets asked what’s happening with Sol3 Mio. The group – formed to raise money for Pene, Amitai, 37, and their cousin Moses McKay, 35, to study opera in Wales – has been on hold while they’ve pursued their individual careers, and there are no plans to reunite because they’re so busy. But Pene has good news for fans.
“I haven’t given up on the idea of Sol3 Mio. I do think we could bring it out at any given moment. And it would be even more special because you’ve got these guys who have represented in different corners of the world and upgraded their talent. It would be fun!”
Tenor: My Name is Pati is in cinemas now.
