Manuel Dhurrkay

Manuel Ngulupani Dhurrkay has been performing and recording for 15 years as both a soloist and dynamic front man of the Northern Territory group Saltwater Band. He has played some of the biggest stages around the country and has enjoyed significant recording success being bestowed with ARIA, NT Indigenous Music Awards and Deadly nominations and awards.

Past career highlights include performing at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, performing with Gurrumul for HRH Queen Elizabeth II in Sydney and rewriting his song ‘Arafura Sea’ to become the ‘Arafura Anthem’ and to perform live at the opening ceremony of the Arafura Games with Jessica Mauboy. Manuel has played the main stages of many festivals including WOMADelaide, Darwin Festival, Cairns Festival and Byron Bay Blues Festival, and was the headline act for the 2010 and 2017 Sandtracks Tour. His (Saltwater Band) albums have sold over 30,000 copies and in 2010 the band released their third album ‘Malk’. In April 2019 he performed at ‘Overture to Peace’, an ANZAC gala alongside Human Nature and Marina Prior at the TIO Stadium.

Manuel launched his solo career in 2011 with a showcase at the Darwin Festival on the Amphitheatre stage of ‘Island Songs’ – beautiful stories performed in English and in the rich tones of his native Yolngu. Inspired by life on Elcho Island, Manuel has written a stunning array of new music with titles such ‘Wurrapa’ (Ocean Woman), ‘The Dolphins’ and ‘Nawumul’ and many other beautiful Yolngu and English songs and stories.

Manuel and his band strive to inspire youth to achieve high levels of music and performance and they love to perform songs that uplift people’s spirits with rhythms, cultural strength, melodies and positivity.