Watch Ed Waaka's Video 'War On The Street'

Tāmaki Makaurau songwriter Ed Waaka (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Pāhauwera) has shared a beautifully filmed clip for his latest single 'War on the Street', a soulful and gently anthemic rumination on the ever-encroaching impact of gentrification on our communities, particularly for those living on the margins. In the monochrome video produced and directed by Matiu Sadd, Waaka roams the roads of his childhood home suburb of Belmont, which is currently in the midst of development from former Armed Forces housing to upmarket homes.

Ed Waaka opened up about the ideas behind the clip, “In discussion with Producer Matiu Sadd, we agreed a simple video capturing this idea of gentrification would be best shown by returning to my childhood neighbourhood... By coincidence, the street Matiu had chosen was one I used to live on when I was a young child. This was a neighbourhood primarily made up of Armed Forces housing, and was where my parents moved after joining the Navy. The house I used to live on, 1 Hillary Crescent, had been completely demolished, along with all surrounding houses except for a remaining few.

For me returning to an area that held fond childhood memories and seeing it demolished in the name of progress resonated with me... It was a humbling experience to realise that the neighbourhood that had helped me and my family get to a better place was being destroyed, and how important it was for me as a child to have a place called home.”

'War On The Street' is out now via Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes.