There are two things I know for sure about Samoa: its rugby prowess and its unshakeable commitment to family values. In fact, they love family so much that they will absorb anyone into their circle. I should know – I have been adopted by a dear Samoan friend and now all the kids refer to me as Aunty.
Pene Pati looks like a rugby player, so we are surprised when Tenor: My Name is Pati is actually a portrait of the Samoan-born tenor’s journey through the world of opera. A singing coach once dismissed the idea of a Samoan singing opera – it’s not in your blood, he said. But what he didn’t count on was Pene growing up in a community where song and dance is ingrained in every facet of life. And true to Pene’s Samoan identity, this documentary highlights the complicated yet symbiotic familial ties that helped turn a communal love of singing into an international career.
Early in this movie, Pene acknowledges that his success is not just his but his family’s. He feels a duty to succeed for them. Consequently, the movie features soundbites not just from industry professionals but from his family members as well. Snippets like these often give biographical pieces a personal insight into their subjects. In some cases, these touches humanise the subject and make it easier for us to sympathise or relate to them. The familial anecdotes in this movie go beyond being fond memories; they strengthen the movie’s core message of the significance of family in Pene’s life.
We hear of childhood visits to church, where all the children sang on stage to expectant (and competitive) parents. When the Pati family move from Samoa to New Zealand, Pene Pati Snr starts singing at a local rest home and brings the troops with him. The recollections aren’t purely warm ones. Pene recalls his strict upbringing and how, especially as the eldest son, the onus was on him to preserve the family reputation. It is his duty to think of family first – this call is so strong that we are gobsmacked when we learn of the sacrifices he made for the collective good, including passing on a prestigious fellowship.
Luckily, fate intervenes on several occasions to bring pivotal people into Pene’s orbit.
This includes Terence Maskell , Pene’s Year 9 teacher, who due to a lack of boys in his choir, decides to recruit members of the school’s rugby team to pad out the school production of HMS Pinafore. It’s such a success that he made it a rule that rugby players needed to audition for choir. Pene was intrigued because he thought he could swap other lessons for singing lessons. This cheeky combination of talent and motivation solidifies Pene’s place in the choir. Maskell ends up helping Pene and his brother, Amitai, build up their formal musical foundations.
So it seems strange when Pene, after investing so much into singing, decides to pursue IT. However, hearing his mum’s rationale makes it clear – it’s a good job that will feed his future family. We are fortunate though, a chance walk to the music department finds Pene agreeing to sing as a tenor in the university choir, despite having no experience or knowledge of opera. And so, the seed is replanted.
Indeed, Pene’s success seems to have been charted by a natural affinity for music mixed with a series of lucky circumstances. But the movie does well to remind us that even with all these in play, Pene’s drive is what ultimately brings opportunities to fruition.
A chance invite to a local broadcaster ends up sparking a media frenzy over Sol3 Mio, the musical group that Pene, Amitai and their cousin Moses Mackay formed. The trio achieve phenomenal success, catching the eye of Universal Music who would later offer them a recording contract.
Sol3 Mio itself evolved from Pene not wanting to sing alone and turned into an unexpected hit. Based on how well-received their first performance was, they started a fundraising effort so that he, Amitai, Moses and Amina (Pene’s now wife) could further their studies in Cardiff.
But all this would not have been possible if Pene hadn’t decided to watch La Boheme, after earning his place in the university choir. He was so moved that he started singing arias in his parked car, accompanied by Pavarotti playing on the stereo.
So it is especially thrilling, when we get to watch Pene perform Nessun Dorma, a song most famously associated with Pavarotti.
It was a brilliant choice to allow the audience to hear Pene perform the song in its entirety. What a treat to be able to not just hear Pene’s rich voice but to watch him, even during a recording, perform it with emotion as he puts his hand to his chest. It feels like we’ve been let into a secret VIP performance. As we see the sweat glisten down his face and the intercuts to seeing Pene’s own reaction to watching it back, we remember the scene directly before this.
This directorial choice by Rebecca Tansley serves as a perfect intro to the work required to perform an operatic piece. Yes, throughout the movie, there are references to the toll of travelling and the importance of health; one commentator even compares tenors to athletes. But this scene alone is effective in conveying the rigours of opera singing. Pene tells us in a voice over that arias take hours to perfect. We see the conductor, Emmanuel Villaume cutting a recording and coaching Pene. We see Pene take a final swig of his drink bottle before he musters the confidence to launch into the song, full force.
Learning about the work that goes behind just a recording (and not a full scale theatrical performance) and seeing Pene’s journey throughout the movie, it’s no surprise that my goosebumps are accompanied by a sense of pride for him. Pene has come full-circle, perhaps he really is this generation’s Pavarotti. He certainly has the stature and the voice to rank among the best.
Pene’s story is one worthy to be known on its merit. Tenor: My name is Pati delivers on this front, showing us a gifted singer who doesn’t just squander his talent. He works hard for it without losing sight of the cultural values he holds so deeply.
This Aunty is very proud.
Tenor: My Name is Pati opens in cinemas on 23rd July.