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His songs covered themes of identity, spirit, connection with the land and its elements across multiple Yolngu languages as well as English. Gurrumul: a man with a strong sense of humour, deep ties to his homelands and little taste for the limelight. The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. Yunupingus doctor Paul Lawton told a press conference that the singer was a victim of incompetence or racial profiling. The wall above a shelf of Skinnyfish CDs is lined with art from the Tiwi Islands and a portrait of Gurrumul. "People forget he was in Yothu Yindi and Saltwater. [8] As of 2020, it is estimated that Yunupingu has sold half a million records globally. With Manuel Dhurrkay he also fronted Saltwater Band, the group putting out three records in a decade from 1999. It debuted at number 3 on the ARIA Charts. Singer-songwriter Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu will release his eponymous solo debut album Gurrumul via Dramatico Entertainment on June 15. We have an encyclopedia of stories ready to tell people, if they want to listen. Gurrumul (born Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu) was a Gumatj man from Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory. 'Gurrumul' Review | Berlin 2018 - The Hollywood Reporter "There are different ways people can go about activism," Hohnen continues. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Theres a dozen yidaki elsewhere known as didgeridoos in a plastic bin sitting in the corner, some painted in traditional designs, some wrapped in silver gaffa tape. The album is an ambitious project which continues Gurrumuls habit of marrying together the two worlds he lived in. The recording is as much a representation of all Yolngu. Directed by Paul Williams, Gurrumuls uncle, Djunga Djunga Yunupingu, and aunt, Gurruwiwi are the only narrators of the film, but it also features his parents and friends. "Dialysis was not something that he enjoyed," Hohnen says. [17] Gurrumul peaked at No. About Geoffrey. Yunupingu was born on Galiwin'ku, Elcho Island, in the massive Arnhem Land, one of the five regions that make up Australia's Northern Territory. JustMyTwoCopper. [36] A documentary film titled Gurrumul was also released, which Luke Buckmaster reviewed, stating that "For Gurrumul fans, the film is obviously a must-see. Gurrumul shot to prominence in 2008 with the release of his debut album Gurrumul, which was nominated for four ARIAs and won two. Gurrumul was a self-taught instrumentalist, playing guitar, piano, drums, and didgeridoo. Gurrumul agreed to the film as long as his health was not a part of it; and his uncle, Yunupingu, asked that life in their community be shown with dignity. He died in July 2017 aged 46. [27], He was again awarded the Australian Independent Record (AIR) Award for Best Independent Blues and Roots Album in 2011 for his album Rrakala. He has had solo exhibitions at the Tim Olsen Gallery and was a finalist in the 2007 and 2008 Dobell Drawing Prize. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (Albums & songs) - Creative Spirits Who is the blind Aboriginal singer? - Guitar Reviewed beyond the stage "It would just not have been right to put it out. Grose publicly protested the hospital delays. Gurrumul is front facing, his head tilts down until his right. His second album, Rrakala (2011), made some small inroads into the American market, a notoriously difficult proposition. He says the Queen remembered Gurrumul from their last meeting, saying: "Yes, I've met this man before." But Hohnen says Gurrumul was more excited at the chance to meet American music legend Stevie Wonder. Largely self-taught, he plays drums, keyboards, guitar and didgeridoo, but it is his clarity of voice that has attracted rave reviews. He is from the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu and his mother from the Galpu nation. In 2012, Gurrumul was refused service by a taxi driver after a concert performance in Melbourne, and in 2015, his musician brother and uncle were refused three pre-booked taxis in Darwin. Hohnen, a classically trained bass player and co-founder of Skinnyfish Music, was among the first to recognise the unique qualities of Gurrumuls voice. His condition had worsened in recent years, to the extent that Skinnyfish had retired the singer from touring in late 2015. But the European tour is a success and they sign with a US promoter, promising unlimited opportunities. His eponymous 2008 solo debut album was certified three times platinum in Australia, and made the top 20 in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland upon its European release. Following the Aboriginal tradition of sharing wealth, he said any money he makes goes to his mother and aunts still living on Elcho Island, some 350 miles from Darwin. Sir Elton John, Sting and Bjrk are among his fans. Celebrated by audiences at home and abroad, Indigenous artist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was one of the most important and acclaimed voices to ever come out of Australia. Watch David Norths remarks commemorating 25 years of the World Socialist Web Site and donate today. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Below the thick overhang of eyebrows, Gurrumul's eyes are concealed in shadow. The documentary opens with one of Gurrumuls earliest and only media interviews, a filmed sit-down with the ABCs flagship current affairs show. Sir Elton John, Sting and Bjrk are among his fans. A press release from Skinnyfish Music, Gurrumuls record label, described the 46-year-old as one of the most important figures in Australian music history. Numerous tributes have been made by musicians and others across the country and internationally. Djarimirri is essentially an exercise in ethnomusicology the keeping alive of this ancient music, albeit in a more modern fashion, so that those yet to come are able to access it, no matter their cultural background. The whole process became quite an emotional experience.. In less than a decade, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu became Australias biggest-selling Indigenous musician. He had a special place to see, which was his heart. As his spokesman and double-bass accompanist Michael Hohnen explained to journalists in 2013, Gurrumul hates the media. Rejecting the life-style and accoutrements usually associated with successful recording artists, he continued living on Elcho Island. His first solo album, Gurrumul, debuted at #21 on the ARIA Charts and #1 on the independent chart. [10] In December 2020, Yunupingu was listed at number 33 in Rolling Stone Australia's "50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time" issue. It commenced in 2004. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified. Gurrumul has performed for Her Majesty the Queen of England, US President Barack Obama, Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary of Denmark. Gurrumul sings for Queen but marvels at Wonder - ABC News [14] He left school at the age of 12, having attended his local school, Shepherdson College, along with a brief stint at an institute in the Victorian city of Geelong for instruction in Braille, which did not interest him. Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind) - YouTube Bapa means father and it is a beautiful song written by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, in the language of his tribe, Yolnu Matha. Gurrumul was raised on Elcho Island, off the coast of North East Arnhem Land, as a member of the Gumatj clan. ", Three days later, on July 25, 2017, Gurrumul died in Royal Darwin Hospital. "Gurrumul" redirects here. Geoffrey Gurrumul YunupinguHis Life and Music 2013 Australian. In 2014 they finally returned to the US, playing smaller shows with less pressure, but during this tour Gurrumuls father died, just a few years after his mother. "The audience requiresa lot of information to make sense of Gurrumuls musical rise because it emerged from a culture thatsso different to that of most people watching the film," Filmmaker Williams says. Which famous people has gurrumul performed for. Five years in the making, it traces the life of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, the Yolngu singer from Elcho Island, off the coast of Arnhem Land, who had taken Australian music by storm. About - Gurrumul He performed "Sing" live at the Diamond Jubilee Concert on 4 June 2012 together with many of the song's contributing artists. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (19702017), a Gumatj man from north-east Arnhem Land, was born blind but learned to play guitar, keyboard, drums and didgeridoo as a child. [41][42], The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. [35], Yunupingu died at the Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, at about 5:00pm on 25 July 2017, aged 46. And when hes invited to sing a duet with Sting on a French TV show, it nearly ends in disaster. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (1970-2017), a Gumatj man from north-east Arnhem Land, was born blind but learned to play guitar, keyboard, drums and didgeridoo as a child. [30][8] In 2012, Yunupingu was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the University of Sydney. Even in his death, he's transcended genres and cultural barriers. On one level TheCompanion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves: who we read, who we watch, who we listen to, who we cheer for, who we aspire to be, and who we'll never forget. His angelic voice connected with fans the world over, including such notable names as Elton John, will.I.am, Sting, Gary Barlow, Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder. Gurrumul documentary to debut at Berlin film festival watch the trailer. Gurrumul dead at 46: Dr G Yunupingu dies in Royal Darwin Hospital It is one of the strongest examples of the worlds oldest continuous culture, and Gurrumul, a Yunupingu from the Gumatj clan, held increasingly important responsibilities. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. "It was really only in retrospect, when we looked back, that we said, 'Maybe that was goodbye.' While Gurrumuls premature death came as a shock to many of his fans around the world, the 46-year-old had waged a protracted struggle with kidney and liver disease for many years. Guido Maestri saw Gurrumul perform in Sydney on New Year's Eve 2008 and found it unforgettable. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. "This last record is testament to him transcending genre and transcending what's expected of an Indigenous artist," he says. Gurrumul rarely said anything during his concerts and gave no interviews. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - Born Blind Aboriginal Singer Geoffrey Gurrumul, at only 46-years-old, tragically passed away after a long battle with illness. Herein, how did gurrumul go blind? [8][9] Although his solo career brought him wider acclaim, he was also formerly a member of Yothu Yindi and later of Saltwater Band. In October 2015, the album won Gurrumul's third ARIA Award for Best World Music Album. The Most Beautiful Song Ever Written (Australian Aboriginal), This song is called Wiyathul and its by a blind aboriginal man called Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. The collar on his right covers the neck and makes the jaw line directly. Gurrumul's face centrally occupies the frame, leaving minimal room for background detail, indistinct light grey brushstrokes behind his neck and face. The painting itself is one hundred ninety-eight centimetres by hundred and sixty seven centimetres. Guy Maestri saw Gurrumul live on New Years Eve last year and says it was truly, an unforgettable experience. Toooften Aboriginal Australians feel their culture is hijacked by another agenda, a balanda (whitefella)agenda, and distorted beyond recognition. For other uses, see, Posthumous releases and recognition (2018present). About Gurrumul - Gurrumul Yunupingu Foundation In April 2018, Gurrumuls posthumously released fourth studio album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow). This song has been hailed by critics and millions over th. - Gurrumul - Amazon.com Music If he can do it, why can't we do it, you know?". A mixture of traditional songs and new compositions, they reflect his background growing up in one of the most remote but beautiful parts of the continent. Many examples of Gurrumuls remarkable work are available on YouTube. They talk of their. Sydney Morning Herald reviewer Bruce Elder recalled the first time he heard the young singer. These Yolngu songs, some thought to be more than 4000 years old, were traditionally backed by the yidaki wind instrument in repetitive rhythms, giving the lyrics a foundation on which to build. Original track "Take Me Home". Blind from birth and raised in thecommunity of Galiwinku on Elcho Island, Gurrumul was brought up learning the stories and history of his people, through song and dance, the rhythms of life and nature shaping his musical ear and sensibilities. "He was special in so many ways, in Western and Yolngu worlds," his niece, Miriam Yirrininba Dhurrkay, tells me. [18] The album was certified triple platinum. Aged only 46, hed succumbed to organ failure relating to the hepatitis B hed contracted in childhood. Accompanying a scene that depicts the funeral of his father, the score features Gurrumul singing, the sound bleeding into the strains of a French horn. [5] An adventurous child, he was taught how to play basketball and ride a push-bike around his community. ", The Gospel Album (2015).Credit:Courtesy of ABC. Aborigines, for example, are 10 times more likely to contract kidney disease than Australias non-indigenous population, while in remote communities the figure is between 30 and 50 times the national average. Yunupingus success is all the more remarkable because he speaks only a few words of English, is said to be acutely shy, and most of his songs are sung in his native language of Yolngu. I knew if we could capture that spirit across a whole record, there would be something really special, Hohnen told the Guardian in April 2016. Beautifully narrated by his Aunty,Susan Dhangal Gurruwiwi, we learn that Yunupingu was considered to be a messenger between the Balanda (white) world and Yolngu worlds, that the singer was Djarimirri Child of the Rainbow, and his destiny was to illuminate the divide between his own culture and the modern world. He was born on Elcho Island, off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Australia about 350 miles from Darwin. As Gurrumul lives an exciting life as a successful musician, performing for people like Barack Obama and even Queen Elizabeth II, he also experiencesintense homesickness and the need to continue to learn and immerse himself in his family and traditional life. The oldest of four, he was born blind and never learned to read Braille. The breakup of indigenous communities continued and the regressive attacks on social welfare recipients used in the Northern Territory were expanded to selected non-indigenous communities across Australia (see: The Aboriginal intervention in Australia: Four years on). The depth of his music, his stage presence, combined with his captivating high tenor voice incited emotion, compassion and a feeling of peacefulness within Australian and international audiences alike. Gurrumul was Skinnyfish Music's most successful artist and his success enabled the label to expand and focus on other acts like Lonely Boys, Manuel Dhurrkay and Mambali. He left the group in 1995 to live full-time on Elcho Island and later co-founded and co-led the Saltwater Band, which was active from 1999 to 2009. "One world is Balanda, the other world is Yolngu," as Gurrumul describes it. [8] His friend, spokesperson, and collaborator Michael Hohnen described his early musical experiences as follows: "Gurrumul was educated by immersion, cultural immersionfrom his aunties, parents and grandmothers, with love and lullabies; from his uncles, fathers and grandfathers through ceremony songs and storytelling, much of it through music. Gurrumul would go on to perform for Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, among others. When Gurrumul died, the record label pressed pause, in part because in Yolngu culture, when a person dies, their name, image and any music or art is retired for some time. To Briggss mind, Gurrumuls popularity was testament to his hard work, his musicality and his talent. For his part, Gurrumul didnt want to miss learning dhawu the traditional stories that hes expected to care for. In touching and heartbreaking sequences Gurrumul learns of loved ones passing away, and we see the funeral ceremonies that he travels back home for. 0. Gurrumuls songs speak of identity, spirit, connection with the land, the elements and the ancestral beings to whom he is related. Sorry, this video has expired Hohnen is in the midst of promoting the documentary, and preparing for the imminent release of Gurrumuls posthumous album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow), which was four years in the making. Gurrumul would go on to perform for Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, among others. Gurrumul first came to the worlds attention when his self-titled debut album Gurrumul was released to international acclaim in 2008. The Guardian, Thursday 17 July 2008. He performed with Yothu Yindi from 1985 to 1992, when he formed the Saltwater Band. Gurrumul, An Unlikely International Star, Reaches U.S. Ears Gurrumul's songs, like his own life, encompass a span of human experience as great as any on. In a 2009 interview with him and Hohnen, Yunupingu said that he was generally shy but more comfortable playing music, and went on to say: "I don't have much to say to people when I talk. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's legacy: why his music didn't stop. [8], In 2015, Yunupingu toured the US. The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The very nature of these traditional songs and the yidaki patterns do have a lot of repetition in them, but also a lot of variation within that repetition, which combines really well with the small orchestra.". He was left handed, taught himself guitar with a right handed guitar that was given to him by read more He had also, with Hohnen and composer Erkki Veltheim, created or reworked about 50 pieces of music specifically for the documentary. "Ive assumed our audience knows next to nothing about Australian Indigenous culture generally, less about the Yolngu culture of North East ArnhemLand, and nothing about Gurrumuls Gumatj Clan Nation. Gurrumul became the highest selling Aboriginal musician in Australian history and sang in Britain, Europe and the US, including a sold-out concert at New Yorks Carnegie Hall. BAPA. There are public aspects of Gurrumuls short life that arent explored by the documentary his long-running health issues, and the high levels of poverty in remote Indigenous communities such as Galiwinku. The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bengali: ), or BELA (), is a nonprofit legal organization established in 1992 to assist efforts to protect the environment. Jasmine YunupinguGeoffrey Gurrumul . Gurrumul's songs speak of identity, spirit, connection with the land, the elements and the ancestral beings to whom he is related. It is made with oil on linen, surrounded by a simple two-centimetre-wide black frame. Cut off at the forehead, his peaked hairline just appears that the top. 69 on the ARIA Charts and No. Hohnen, who was the singers guide and spokesman, talks to the Guardian in the Skinnyfish Music offices in suburban Darwin. ", Djarimirri is primarily about legacy. Directed by Paul Williams, Gurrumul's uncle, Djunga Djunga Yunupingu, and aunt, Gurruwiwi are the only narrators of the film, but it also features his parents and friends. Filmed over the course of ten years, the documentary feature by Paul Williams gives us a window into the rich and complex Yolngu culture and ceremonial life, a world that informed the singer's music and voice. Short curly black hair frames his head. He doesnt want to be photographed or talk to anyone. Gurrumul was not an enigma, the film reveals, but rather a man with a strong sense of humour, deep ties to his homelands, and little taste for the limelight as he travelled around Europe, the US and Australia. With his extraordinary voice and hauntingly beautiful album, Gurrumul, Indigenous singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu has become something of a cultural phenomenon over the last year. Anyone will be able to read this, and translate it, and play it. Veltheim started by listening to the recordings of songs Gurrumul had already made back on Elcho. Gurrumul went home for the funeral and ceremonial sorry business, and to take on the cultural responsibilities that were now his. His third release, The Gospel Album (2015), cemented what those close to him had known for years that this unassuming Indigenous Australian, who was born blind and taught himself to play a guitar held upside down, wasn't an angelic-voiced flash in the pan. Dr G Yunupingu (1970-2017), a man of the Gumatj clan of north-east Arnhem Land, learned to play guitar, keyboard, drums and didgeridoo as a child. The Gurrumul Story - Wikipedia One baroque-style track has overlapping melodies that mirror the communal expression of Yolngu ceremonial songs. In 2008 Yunupingu was nominated for four ARIA awards, winning the awards for Best World Music Album and Best Independent Release. Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind) - Genius In Yolngu lore the name, image and voice of the recently deceased is retired from all public use. "It transcends cultural barriers, because music is an international language. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu did exactly what youd do if you didnt want to be successful but he succeeded anyway. My immediate response was that here, as far as I was concerned, for the first time was an Aboriginal voice of absolutely transcendental beauty, he said. Audio description written by Meredith Hughes and voiced by Rory Walker, Guido Maestri 'We underestimated Gurrumul': an unlikely career on the edge of two The extraordinary song was inspired by the cries of native bush fowls. Half a million copies of Gurrumul have been sold worldwide. abbreviation. "Bayini" by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (Rrawun D Maymuru), Michael Hohnen and Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu for, Ted Howard, Robin Mai & Matthew Cunliffe for, Helpmann Award for Best Australian Contemporary Concert, "Gathu Mawula" (featuring Blue King Brown), Label: Dramatico / Skinnyfish Music (0063), Label: Universal / Skinnyfish Music (3764720), Formats: CD, LP, CD + DVD, streaming, digital download, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:35. The Gurrumul Story is the first compilation album from Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. Gurrumul has won 9 awards from 21 nominations.[59]. Preceding the release of Williams' documentary by two weeks (the film opens on April 25), Djarimirri stands as the singer's final gift to the world, one last reminder that his rise to fame was more than deserved. When Gurrumul arrives home after long periods away from touring and recording, we see a great deal of affection upon his return. [40] In the same year, a species of frog from the Wessel Islands, Northern Territory, was named Uperoleia gurrumuli (Gurrumul's toadlet) in honour of Yunupingu. [33] He released his third studio album, The Gospel Album, on 31 July 2015. Him and Michael, they've delivered this gift of music. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (22 January 1971 25 July 2017), commonly known as Gurrumul and also referred to since his death as Dr G. Yunupingu,[note 1][5][6][7] was an Aboriginal Australian musician[8] of the Yolu peoples. He was born blind. His songs covered themes of identity, spirit, connection with the land and its elements across multiple Yolngu languages as well as English. Gurrumul is the first indigenous Australian solo artist to breakthrough to the mainstream with audiences and critics responding passionately to the album. It wasn't just Jones Sting, Elton John and Australian musicians Peter Garrett and Paul Kelly all count themselves among the singer's admirers. He was placed on kidney dialysis in mid-2016, but Gurrumul, who'd been admitted to the intensive care unit at Royal Darwin Hospital seven times in the year leading up to his death, had started to refuse treatment. A rare and moving visual of how life and death is honoured in Yolngucommunity. The Australian Music Prize (AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. His chin and neck fade into dark greys and blacks. "But I now feel like we did everything possible to live up to the standards that he and his family expected of us. Most of the young people I know, they want to continue his legacy, they want to show the world that they can do it. He plays drums, keyboards, guitar (a right hand-strung guitar left-handed) and didgeridoo, but it is the clarity of his singing voice that has attracted rave reviews. They talk of their surprise and sorrow when they realised Gurrumul was blind, and their fears he would always have to stay close to home. Blind from birth, he played the guitar upside down with his left hand. However, a very rare exception has been made byGumatj and Glpu clan leaders for this film. Critics have heaped praise on the singer and described his voice as having transcendental beauty. International Committee of the Fourth International, The Aboriginal intervention in Australia: Four years on, Gurrumul: an evocative and unique musical contribution. We just tried to make that record, which had that mood, to try to seep into peoples consciences and hearts and minds without actually having the listener have any responsibility to listen and work out what someones saying.. . Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind) Gurrumul | Last.fm "We wanted to release the album while he was alive so he could live it out on the airwaves around his, community and further afield," says Hohnen. Just ask. Required fields are marked *. I always said he balanced the two worlds better than most people. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. Gurrumuls health worsened at the end of 2015 after a long-delayed US tour. Filming behind the scenes on Elcho Island (Supplied), New documentary Gurrumul gives an insight in to the humorous and cheeky side of the acutely shy singer, Gurrumul with Skinnyfish music producer and good friend, Michael Hohnen (Supplied). When telling of the life of Gurrumul, his culture and community was a hugely important aspect of the film. Born blind, Gurrumul sings in his tribal Gumatj dialect, spoken by no more than 3,000 people. What made this situation unusual, though, was how it finished up. The group was founded in 1985 and headed by his uncle and lead singer, Mandawuy Yunupingu. Although his solo career brought him wider acclaim, he was also formerly a member of Yothu Yindi and later of Saltwater Band. Legendary American music producer Quincy Jones praised the singer for "one of the most unusual and emotional and musical voices that I've ever heard". The concert was co-presented by music producer Quincy Jones, who has called Gurrumul "unbelievable". Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu: Blind Bard from Australia Gurrumuls uncle, Mandawuy Yunupingu, died from kidney disease in June 2013, aged 56. He sings stories of his land in both languages (Glpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, all Yolu Matha) and English. What Williams has been able to achieve here is quite remarkable, to be able to capture these very intimate moments within the community speaks to the level of trust and respect between the community and the film-makers, and also an acknowledgement of the status of Gurrumul. A member of the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu people, despite being a world traveler, he lived there throughout his life. he says. Add a Comment. 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