One of the nation's most celebrated indigenous bands is in town this weekend, in a special free event for Festival Cairns

Saltwater Band consists of eight musicians from the remote Elcho Island off the coast of North East Arhhem Land.

One of the band’s members is the highly celebrated ARIA Award-winning artist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, who is currently achieving massive success not only around Australia but on the international stage as well.

Gurrumul is a brilliant musician and outstanding songwriter in his own right and this new incarnation has given him the opportunity to further highlight and develop his talents in his own band.

The other major influence in Saltwater Band is Manuel Nulupani Dhurrkay, lead singer, and with Gurrumul, a major song writing influence.

Manuel’s strong vocal leads set the tone for the Saltwater Band’s unique harmonies.

Geoffrey and Manuel write songs both to entertain and educate their audience about the strong traditional ties they have with their land, their culture and their people.

Saltwater Band’s two albums, Gapu Damurrun and Djarridjarri/Blue Flag, showcase two styles of modern indigenous music.

Contemporary traditional songs (such as Gopuru and Mala Rrakala) sound as if they were written yesterday but in fact are more than 10,000 years old, while new contemporary pop songs such as the reggae/ska-influenced Saltwater Music and the beautiful Gurrumul History highlight the future of indigenous music in Australia.

Fresh back from a European tour, don’t miss your chance to catch Saltwater Band in their first Queensland show ever this weekend, as they do a free show on the Esplanade as part of the Tropical Wave Finale and Festival Cairns.

>> Saltwater Band featuring Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu perform on the Esplanade Hub Stage on Saturday from 8pm as the finale to the Q150 Tropical Wave. This is a free show.

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