Whenua Patuwai – The Soul Sessions: Christmas Edition album on CD – Whenua Patuwai returns with a Christmas Edition of the successful release ‘The Soul Sessions’!
Includes all songs from The Soul Sessions plus 3 Christmas theme Bonus tracks including the incredible rendition of ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’, featuring the powerhouse Ria Hall.
The Soul Sessions is an album of brilliant studio recordings of Whenua’s favourite soul music from the past– including classics from Sam Cooke, Al Green, Otis Redding among others. Whenua Patuwai (born 1995), a shy fella from Christchurch, came to the attention of the nation, when he auditioned for the first local series of X Factor New Zealand in 2013 with a reindition of Sam Cooke's ‘Change Is Gonna Come’.
On choosing soul music for his debut album, Whenua says; “I grew up in a home filled with old school soul music. It was a genre of music that my parents loved listening to back in the day… soul music resonates with me so much because it represents the soul and all of the emotions we experience… heartbreak, pain, love and happiness.”
Whenua’s album was produced by Sam De Jong (Stan Walker, Ginny Blackmore, Benny Tipene) and recorded at Parachute Studios in Auckland. The music was performed by The Levites Band and guest vocal features include performances by Whenua’s friends and fellow artists; Ria Hall and Troy Kingi.