Aaradhna
Aaradhna | |
|---|---|
| Born | Aaradhna Jayantilal Patel December 20, 1983 New Zealand |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, recording artist |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | Music career with hits like "Getting Stronger" and albums including I Love You, Sweet Soul Music, Treble & Reverb, Brown Girl |
Aaradhna Jayantilal Patel (born 20 December 1983), professionally known as Aaradhna, is a singer, songwriter, and recording artist from New Zealand. Her initial appearance was in 2004 on the track "Getting Stronger" alongside the group Adeaze, which achieved the number one spot on the official New Zealand Singles Chart.
Early years
Aaradhna has roots in both the Samoan and Indian communities.[1] Her father, Jayanti Patel, hails from Navsari, Gujarat, India, while her mother, Sia'a Patel, is Samoan with origins in PapaSataua, Falealupo-uta & Auala. As the oldest of five children, Aaradhna began singing at age 11, drawing inspiration from traditional Samoan music, country tunes, and Bollywood films enjoyed by her family. She started composing music at 11 and entered her first talent competition at 13, where she made it to the finals. Aaradhna was a member of the Porirua College choir but was later removed; subsequently, she formed a five-member girl group named "Lovera".[2]
Career
Her debut album I Love You reached the top 20 on the RIANZ charts and included tracks featured in films. Notably, the single "They Don't Know", a collaboration with New Zealand hip-hop artist Savage, reached the top 5 and was part of the soundtrack for Sione's Wedding. Another original piece titled "Faith" was included in the movie It's a Free World. In late 2006, Aaradhna teamed up with Australian producer and DJ Paul Mac to release the club-oriented single Love Declaration, which peaked at No. 31 on Australian charts and appeared on Mac's album Panic Room.
2008–present
Her sophomore album, Sweet Soul Music, released on Valentine's Day 2008 throughout New Zealand’s digital outlets and retail stores, paid homage to soul classics and featured a rendition of The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back".
In 2011, Aaradhna initiated work on her third studio project under Dawn Raid Entertainment. The lead single "Wake Up" came out in August 2012, preceding the full album Treble & Reverb released in November.
July 2016 saw the release of her fourth studio record, Brown Girl, which explored her encounters with casual racism in New Zealand. This album debuted at number one on New Zealand’s charts and also charted in Switzerland. At the 2016 New Zealand Music Awards, Aaradhna notably refused to accept the hip-hop award she was given, explaining that she had been placed in that category due to her ethnicity and emphasizing that a vocalist should not be awarded Best Hip Hop Artist.
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | AUS | |||
| I Love You |
|
13 | — |
|
| Sweet Soul Music |
|
17 | — | |
| Treble & Reverb |
|
14 | — |
|
| Brown Girl |
|
1 | 73 |
|
| Sweet Surrender |
|
— | — | |
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Chart Rankings | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | |||||||||||||
| "Down Time" | 2006 | 3 |
|
I Love You | |||||||||
| "I Love You Too" | 5 |
| |||||||||||
| "Wake Up" | 2012 | 12 |
|
Treble & Reverb | |||||||||
| "Lorena Bobbitt" | — | ||||||||||||
| "Great Man" | 2013 | — | |||||||||||
| "Brown Girl" | 2016 | —[upper-alpha 1] |
|
Brown Girl | |||||||||
| "She" | 2023 | — | Sweet Surrender | ||||||||||
| "Mango Tree" | 2024 | —[upper-alpha 2] | |||||||||||
| "—" indicates singles that did not chart or were unreleased. | |||||||||||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Chart Rankings | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | ||||
| "Getting Stronger" (Adeaze featuring Aaradhna) |
2004 | 1 |
|
Always and for Real |
| "They Don't Know" (Savage featuring Aaradhna) |
2005 | 3 |
|
Moonshine |
| "Love Declaration" (Paul Mac featuring Aaradhna) |
— | Panic Room | ||
| "Spin1" (Che Fu featuring Aaradhna) |
2006 | 20 |
|
Hi-Score - The Best Of Che Fu |
| "Turn It Around" (David Dallas featuring Aaradhna) |
2009 | — | Something Awesome | |
| "With You in My Bed" (Isaac Aesili featuring Aaradhna and Buff1) |
— | Eye See | ||
| "Music (Makes the World Go Around)" (Frisko featuring Aaradhna) |
15 | Template:Non-album single | ||
| "Say Yeah" (P-Money featuring David Dallas and Aaradhna) |
2010 | — | Everything | |
| "Like You" (Monsta featuring Aaradhna) |
2011 | — | Pacific Coast Highway | |
| "Is That Enough" (Sons of Zion featuring Aaradhna) |
2017 |
|
Additional Certified Tracks
| Song Title | Release Year | Certification Levels | Associated Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Bring It On Home to Me" | 2008 |
|
Sweet Soul Music |
| "I'm Not The Same" | 2012 |
|
Treble & Reverb |
| "Forever Love" | 2016 |
|
Brown Girl |
External links
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