Stan Walker’s “Mō Āke Tonu” is a song of Indigenous empowerment, featuring Māori Party MP Hana Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke.
“’Mō Āke Tonu’ is about empowerment – a waiata (song) to remember who we are and where we came from,” Walker says. “I want to acknowledge the many times Indigenous people all over the world have had to march to fight for their homes, their language, their freedom, their land, and their culture.”
The track weaves traditional Indigenous instruments, with contributions from Victoria and Joseph Mikaele (ipu heke), Nooky (boomerangs), Walter Stewart (didgeridoo), and Jerome Kavanagh (taonga pūoro). Maipi-Clarke opens with a powerful pao, “Taku kupu ki a koe manuwhiri” (“my words to you, visitor”), an original composition by Matehaere Clarke.
In 2024, Maipi-Clarke led a haka in Parliament against the Treaty Principles Bill, which aimed to strip Māori of their tino rangatiratanga (sovereignty). The pao that preceded it – now part of Walker’s waiata – went viral around the world.
Walker started writing “Mō Āke Tonu” in the wake of that moment, but the full vision took shape during the historic Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti march, where over 60,000 people protested the bill.
“It’s a reminder to Indigenous peoples everywhere—we feel your mamae, and you’re not alone,” Walker says.
The music video, filmed in the historic trenches of Rangiriri Pā, drops April 10th.
Walker is currently touring the US, including his debut performance in Utah this weekend, bringing his te reo Māori music to the world.
2024 was a big year for Walker – he dropped “KI TAKU AWA” for Māori Language Week and created an original track for Origin, the latest film from Academy Award-nominated director Ava DuVernay.
Walker also sat down with Kobie Dee for our Musicians on Musicians series. Read their conversation here.
Stan Walker’s “Mō Āke Tonu (feat. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke)” is out now.
