Dillastrate x Tiki Taane unveil incredible new te reo Māori waiata + video ‘Ko Tātou Te Ahi’
In time for Waiata Anthems Week, celebrated Ōtautahi duo Dillastrate have once again teamed up with Aotearoa legend Tiki Taane to unveil their brilliant and uplifting new te reo Māori waiata Ko Tātou Te Ahi.
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Written by Dillastrate’s Henare ‘H’ Kaa (lead vocals/drums) and Tim Driver (keys/bass synth/loops/vocals), alongside producer Tiki Taane and musician Jamie Thomson, Ko Tātou Te Ahi celebrates the people of their hometown Ōtautahi (Christchurch) – their resilience, their mana, their ability to overcome adversity and rise above it. “It is a deeply respectful and celebratory song that acknowledges the manaakitanga of the tangata whenua that allow us to stand in this place and to call this our tūrangawaewae,” says Dillastrate.
Made with the support of Te Māngai Pāho, Ko Tātou Te Ahi is a journey through different styles that have been celebrated in Ōtautahi over the years – from drum & bass, to hip-hop, to soul, to roots/reggae, and a whole lot of others in-between. It’s sonically anthemic and massive, a deliberate production choice to support and enhance the song’s kaupapa, story and message. “It carries a kind of audio manaakitanga, designed to support and uplift the listener to hold their heads up high and reflect on their own whakapapa and tūrangawaewae.”
Ko Tātou Te Ahi was recorded live inside the wharenui at Ngā Hau E Whā National Marae in Ōtautahi, produced by Tiki Taane, mixed at Tikidub Productions in Papamoa, and mastered by Benny Tones at Organik Muzik Workz in Wellington.
“We deliberately chose to record the instrumentation within the wharenui in order to enhance the meaning of the waiata and capture the wairua and mauri of the wharenui on the record,” explain Dillastrate. “The feeling of recording inside the wharenui is a feeling like no other. You are immediately surrounded by a deep history that affects you in ways that you can’t describe. We were humbled to record in the wharenui, as it meant that we were lucky enough to contribute a small piece to its history, and support the revitalisation of te reo Māori through our mahi.”
Also released today is a joyousmusic video that shows the recording of this history-making track in the wharenui at Ngā Hau E Whā National Marae. Collaboratively directed and edited by Laura Gebbie (Director of Photography) and Dillastrate, with visual direction assistance from cinematographers James Darroch and Lucy Hammond.
“The video captures the meaning of the waiata in several ways. By creating the music live in the wharenui of Ngā Hau E Whā National Marae, it embodies whakapapa and tūrangawaewae for tangata whenua of Ōtautahi and wider Waitaha. By being welcomed into the wharenui by the mana whenua, the video is a visual statement of the manaakitanga that we have received as manuhiri by the rūnanga of this place. And as the waiata is a celebration of the people of Ōtautahi, Waitaha, and Te Waipounamu – capturing the performance inside this wharenui is the best way to symbolise this message.”
Born from the late great Aaron Tokona’s AHoriBuzz, Dillastrate have been making waves since the release of their 2017 EP, Black Diamond. Ko Tātou Te Ahi is a fantastic addition in their quest to uplift te ao Māori – joining bilingual hit Party In My Head (Tāwara Ana), and waiata Taku Aroha (#7 RadioScope Te Reo Māori Airplay Chart). It is also joining other recent releases – pop hit I’m Crazy (Hot 20 NZ Singles, NZ on Air New Tracks, commercial + Bnets + iwi radio play), and single Way To Flow (NZOA New Tracks, commerical + Bnets radio play) – another collaboration with Tiki Taane. As well as recorded, their experience as live musicians include extensive festival, headline and support tours – seeing the duo playing repeatedly to crowds of over 20,000. A live Dillastrate performance is a finely-tuned and explosive experience that can transform entire venue crowds from stationery to dancing-their-asses-off in a matter of seconds. They’ve featured on national TV, commercial, iwi and alternative radio, boast a strong digital presence, and have placed in both the Official NZ Top 20 Singles and RadioScope Charts multiple times. With much more on its way, Dillastrate are ones to watch!
