Saltwater Band

Saltwater Band
OriginGaliwin'ku, Elcho Island, Australia
GenresIndigenous Roots
LabelsSkinnyfish Music
MembersGeoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Manuel Nulupani Dhurrkay
Joshua Dhurrkay
Andrew Yunupingu
Barra'kuwuy Yunupingu
Jonathon Yunupingu
Adrian Garrawitja
Lloyd Garrawitja

Saltwater Band are an Indigenous roots band from Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island, around 560 kilometres from Darwin. The members are Yolngu and they sing mostly in Yolngu languages. Their songs are a mixture of traditional songs and reggae/ska influenced pop.[1] One member of the band, the late Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, is a close relative of Mandawuy Yunupingu of Yothu Yindi and was a past member of Yothu Yindi.[2]

Saltwater Band's first album, Gapu Damurrun, sold more than 10,000 copies, a then record for an independent Northern Territory act.[3] Their album Djarridjarri was nominated for the ARIA Award for Best World Music Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2004.[4] The album also received a Deadly Award for Album Release of the Year.[5]

Discography

Title Details
Gapu Damurrun
Djarridjarri
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Skinny Fish (SFSW040102)
  • Format: CD
Malk
  • Released: 2009
  • Label: Skinny Fish (SFSW100904)
  • Format: CD digital download

Awards and nominations

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters".[6]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2012 "Compass" (Charlie Yunupingu, David Yunupingu) Blues & Roots Work of the Year[7] Nominated

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2004 Djarridjarri: Blue Flag Best World Music Album Nominated
2011 Malk Best World Music Album Nominated

The Deadly Awards

The Deadly Awards, commonly known simply as The Deadlys, was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. They ran from 1996 to 2013.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2004 Djarridjarri Album of the Year Won
2009 themselves Band of the Year Won

National Indigenous Music Awards

The National Indigenous Music Awards recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. They commenced in 2004.[8][9]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2004 themselves People's Choice Award Won
2005 themselves People's Choice Award Won
2008 Saltwater Band Live DVD/Film Clip of the Year Won
2011 Malk Album of the Year Nominated

References

  1. ^ Skinnyfish Music Saltwater Band - Gapu Damurrun'
  2. ^ Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Listen Up - Music of Black Australia
  3. ^ National Indigenous Times - Issue 68 Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine Deadly times for Saltwater
  4. ^ Aria Awards Archived 2011-05-19 at the Wayback Machine Saltwater Band awards history
  5. ^ Deadly Vibe Issue 93 November 2004 Archived 5 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine Saltwater snaps up Deadly
  6. ^ "APRA Music Awards 2012". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  7. ^ "Nominations > Blues & Roots Work of the Year – 2012". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  8. ^ "2014 Winners - National Indigenous Music Awards". Musicnt.com.au. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  9. ^ "'I'm doing my music for my people': National Indigenous Music Awards 2015". ABC.net.au. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2017.