I first met Djulpa in a park. It was dark and, as I walked home, I heard a strumming guitar and cheerful voices.

Djulpa and his brothers were singing songs of their homeland at Maningrida on the Arnhem Land coast. He told me he had a band called URK (UnRighteous Kids), that had played its first gig at the 1993 Barunga Festival. The band had come together at the Fire Escape, a drop-in centre for young people, particularly Aboriginal youth. A vibrant music program, run by Geoff Barrett  - who also doubled as URK's bassist - was the catalyst that started the ball rolling.

     In the first couple of years there were several line-up changes and shuffling of instruments, plus the change of band name, to reflect the Saltwater style of the fast-growing repertoire of original tunes.
     Based in Darwin  in the Northern Territory, Wild  Water has toured the Australian East coast extensively, as well as being an essential ingredient in the diverse mix of Territory acts, crying out for national and international exposure. The band members come from the cultures of Arnhem Land, Central Australia, Darwin, Southwest of Western Australia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Each member adds his/her own indigenous and cultural perspective to create a unique Top End style.  
     Performance work has included headlining at festivals, large cultural events and supports gigs for Yothu Yindi, The Cruel Sea, Tiddas and Sunrize Band. They have played the Australian Music Day gig in Darwin for the past 2 years and were featured (July, 1995) on the Australian Music Show on Triple J. 
Wild Water has also been featured in "Deadly VIBE" magazine. 
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Wild Water Milestones

•  Won the 'Most Promising New Talent' award at the National Indigenous Music Awards.
• "Baltpa" - debut EP independently released in June '96, gained  consistent airplay right around Australia, including high rotation on national youth radio - Triple J, and was featured on ABC TV's "Recovery" and Channel V.
• Headlined at the Survival 98 concert in Sydney and the 1997 Woodford Festival in QLD. 
• Selected as Maxi Priest's special guests on his 1997  tour of Australia. 
• NT Youth Reconciliation Award for the band's contribution towards the process of reconciliation, between Australia's aboriginal and non-aboriginal inhabitants. 
• Nominated for 'Band of the Year' at the 1998 Deadly Sounds Awards.
• Due to record full length album in 1999.