Daniel Wilfred is a Wagiläk man from Ngukurr, in remote Northern Australia. He was born in Nhulunbuy, skin name, Wamut. He’s a ceremonial leader for the Wagiläk people, singing Manikay and playing bilma at ceremonies in Ngukurr, Numbulwar, Groote Eylandt and surrounding areas. He co-leads celebrated Australian quintet, Hand to Earth, with Sunny Kim, and Peter Knight, and together with his brother David Wilfred has been collaborating and touring for almost 15 years, sharing his songs and culture with people around the world. Recently he has performed with Hand to Earth at venues and festivals including Lincoln Centre (NYC), Pierre Boulez Seal (Berlin) Jazztopad Festival Poland, Bimhuis (Netherlands), Vancouver Jazz Festival, and Jeonju Sori Festival (Korea). Daniel is also a regular performer with the Australian Art Orchestra and was the recipient of the 2019 Arts Fellowship by the Northern Territory. Together with David, he was also awarded the NT Luminary Award for ‘cultural leadership’ at the 2020 Art Music Awards. 

Photo by Sarah Walker