Aaradhna Signs with Winehouse Label Republic Records

It has been a monumental year for Porirua-raised R&B singer Aaradhna Jayantilal Patel – better known by her stage name Aaradhna. The recording artist has secured an American record deal and won a record-breaking six awards from this year’s Pacific Music Awards in New Zealand, the most wins by one artist in the history of the awards. The 29-year-old’s latest album Treble & Reverb spent 14 weeks in the New Zealand charts and led to her being picked up by American label Republic Records, the same label that signed Amy Winehouse. Now, she is about to head out on her first national US tour over July. Aaradhna recently had her first taste of performing in the US at a Republic Records showcase and at the legendary New York live venue SOB’s. “It was awesome, really surreal,” Aaradhna said. “It was my first time in New York City so I was really just excited about everything, I had a great time.” She has also been working with multi-platinum US producer Kwamé Holland, who has worked with Mary J Blige, Eminem and The Pussycat Dolls. Aaradhna started turning heads with her platinum single Wake Up, which marks a turning point in her life. “[At the] end of 2006, I just left the music industry because I was not in the right mindframe,” she said. “I was a bit depressed for a long time and, sometime in 2008, I wrote this song and it was just me trying to tell myself to … get out there. It’s just me telling myself to wake up. I just try to do the best that I can, and I just let the music take me away to where it wants to take me.” Aaradhna made her musical debut in 2004 featuring on the single Getting Stronger with the group Adeaze which peaked at number one on the official New Zealand Singles Chart.