New Zealand singer-songwriter Ed Waaka creates music which never shies away from the world’s most profound social issues.
Waaka’s latest single Revolution is a gem of a song, set to leave you with a lot on your mind.
Through moving vocals and his signature acoustic folk sound, Waaka conveys a deeply moving message of universal love, empathy, acceptance, and understanding.
Following his first single of 2019 War on the Street, Waaka has continued creating music which addresses the many problems faced by New Zealand’s contemporary Māori population. Through purposeful songwriting, Waaka is able to explore his personal feelings and convey them in a way which speaks to us all. He poses questions through his lyrics, challenging the listener and their perceptions on positive change, encouraging them to be part of the “revolution” in their own way.
While the lyrics alone are inspiring enough, Waaka combines these with his stunning vocal and instrumental abilities to conjure up feelings of reflection and compassion. The song’s gradual build-up, in turn, mirrors a growing understanding that peace and love is the answer.
With the release of Revolution comes an accompanying music video which even further enunciates Waaka’s impactful message. Simple footage of Waaka singing and playing the guitar provides a strong display of how deeply Waaka feels every aspect of the song’s heart. This is combined with archival footage which pays tribute to early Māori generations who fought for indigenous rights amid times of social conflict, showing how these efforts worked to inspire future activism all over the world. In many ways, the film clip also demonstrates Waaka’s pride in his nation and its continual urge to stand up for what is right.
Revolution features a number of prominent NZ musicians including Marika Hodgson (Bass), Finn Scholes (Piano, Organ) Andy Keegan (Drums) and Carey Garland (Backing Vocals). The track was produced by Andy Lovegrove who also collaborated on Waaka’s prior releases No Enemy of Mine and Crazy.
Be sure to hear Ed Waaka out and soak in every flawlessly delivered lyric for what is sure to be an inspiring listening experience.
