Milkumana

King Stingray

About the power of passing on knowledge – “to show, share and pass on knowledge through stories and song”.

Why we wrote this song

In Yolŋu Matha, ‘Milkumana’ means to show, share or pass on knowledge through stories and song.

Guitarist, Roy Kellaway, explains: “It’s about leadership and mala wangany – we are all one and in this together. We are all living under the same sun, sailing in the same boat, towards a brighter future. It’s about role models and the importance of setting good examples for the new generation.”

Milkumana is a vibrant song that pulses with disco-leaning groove.

About us as artists

King Stingray’s mission is “to open the eyes of a nation while simultaneously rocking its socks off”.

Hailing from the Northern Territory and Queensland, this tight-knit five-piece surf rock band are a crew of Yolŋu (Aboriginal people of northeast Arnhem Land) and balanda (non-Indigenous) musicians.

Their music is raw, wild and free and they incorporate ancient tradition of manikay (song/songlines) dates back tens of thousands of years, and a profound love of country and Mother Earth.

King Stingray rocks vibrant and colourful like a great glowing djäpana (sunset) through the East Arnhem Land sky. Their do-it-yourself ethos and connection to home and family resonates through every song and you can imagine going on a roadtrip with stringybark trees flying past the window, surrounded by mates and with the stereo blasting.

About the music video

The clip was filmed in the band’s hometown of Yirrkala, a community in North East Arnhem Land.

In the video, frontman Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu is gifted the Bilma (clapsticks) by tribal elder and mentor Mangatjay Yunupingu, who appears alongside Malŋay Yunupingu – both are respected keepers of Yolŋu manikay (traditional songlines).

The handing of the Bilma is a symbolic passing on of knowledge and power, including hunting skills, survival and life skills, and – from the looks of the closing jam session – some deadly rhythm, too.