The first of six children, Gurrumul began his professional musical career in his late teens as a member of the popular Yothu Yindi rock band. Even in his death, he's transcended genres and cultural barriers. Geoffrey Gurrumul YunupinguHis Life and Music 2013 Australian. Interviews and feature reports from NITV. Gurrumul was a founding member of the band Yothu Yindi. Living a traditional Yolngu life, his breakthrough album 'Gurrumul . Like every other federal Labor MP, both men supported the Liberal-National coalition governments Northern Territory intervention in mid-2007a reactionary social assault launched under the bogus pretext of protecting Aboriginal children from sexual abuse. That's remarkable for a man who was born blind, is extremely shy and doesn't speak much English. Born blind, the Indigenous Australian singer/songwriter Gurrumul grew up as a member of the Gumatj clan on Elcho Island, off the coast of tropical North East Arnhem land in Australia's Northern Territory. 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. Original track "Take Me Home". He was best known as a singer. Famed US jazz composer and arranger Quincy Jones said that the Aboriginal singer-songwriter had one of the most unusual and emotional and musical voices that Ive heard.. Iain Shedden, music critic of The Australian newspaper, said there was an incredible aura around Yunupingu, while another music critic, Lou Novachek, described his voice as sublime. 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. A rare and moving visual of how life and death is honoured in Yolngucommunity. That is for other Yolu. [39], In September 2021, Yunupingu's first anthology was released, entitled The Gurrumul Story. It relies heavily on repetition, and Yolngu songs are traditionally quite short, so Gurrumul's vocal contributions are fleeting. Guido Maestri. [8], In April 2018, Yunupingu's fourth studio album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow), was released. Formerly a member of Yothu Yindi and Saltwater Band, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, who was blind from birth and passed away last year at age 46, released his first solo album in 2008. He cant be found and the tour collapses. 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. 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. He sang stories of his land both in Yolu languages such as Gaalpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, a dialect related to Gumatj, and in English. Critics raved about his unearthly voice, fusion of music styles and authentic Aboriginal sound and stories. In touching and heartbreaking sequences Gurrumul learns of loved ones passing away, and we see the funeral ceremonies that he travels back home for. His songs covered themes of identity, spirit, connection with the land and its elements across multiple Yolngu languages as well as English. Gurrumul's songs, like his own life, encompass a span of human experience as great as any on. For other uses, see, Posthumous releases and recognition (2018present). And when hes invited to sing a duet with Sting on a French TV show, it nearly ends in disaster. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingus friend Michael Hohnen produced the album and acts as his translator. He played a number of instruments and contributed backing vocals to four of the band's six albums, most notably its breakthrough 1991 release, Tribal Voice. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); It could be that you are wondering whether you are in the right place. The album is an ambitious project which continues Gurrumuls habit of marrying together the two worlds he lived in. [7] He had lived with liver and kidney damage for many years due to hepatitis B which he had contracted in childhood. His condition had worsened in recent years, to the extent that Skinnyfish had retired the singer from touring in late 2015. Australian singer Gurrumul sells out debut US show - BBC News 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. BAPA. In Yolngu lore the name, image and voice of the recently deceased is retired from all public use. He sang . Jasmine YunupinguGeoffrey Gurrumul . Critics heaped praise on the singer, describing his voice as having "transcendental beauty". "Gurrumul toured the world before he was Gurrumul," notes hip-hop artist Adam Briggs, with whom Gurrumul collaborated in 2014 on the song The Hunt. In November 2008, he was named Best New Independent Artist, and his album, Gurrumul, Best Independent Album and Best Australian Independent Blues/Roots Album at the Jagermeister AIR (Australian Independent Record Labels Association ) Awards held at Melbournes Corner Hotel. 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. More importantly, I got a sense of his presence and this determined the nature of the portrait: quiet and strong. The film features two funerals one for each of Gurrumuls parents and perhaps as a final mark of respect, it doesnt go for a third. 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. Australias Most Important Voice Rolling Stone Australia. 1 on the independent chart. To Briggss mind, Gurrumuls popularity was testament to his hard work, his musicality and his talent. He hates the exposure and the attention. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jul/17/australia.culture, Your email address will not be published. We try and work in a mainstream music industry but within their [Indigenous] system of how we relate to everyone, Hohnen tells Guardian Australia. With such a big, bright personality, heis a very much loved and honoured member of his community. The Most Beautiful Song Ever Written (Australian Aboriginal) This song is called Wiyathul and its by a blind aboriginal man called Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. 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. The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. 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. Best. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu did exactly what youd do if you didnt want to be successful but he succeeded anyway. I think it's more that they're really proud. He was blind. [8][28] At the ARIA Music Awards of 2011, he won Best World Music Album and performed "Warwu" featuring Missy Higgins on piano. 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. It was a professional partnership which helped to bring Gurrumul's unique interpretation of the 'manikay' (the songlines of his people) to life. This song has been hailed by critics and millions over th. International Committee of the Fourth International, The Aboriginal intervention in Australia: Four years on, Gurrumul: an evocative and unique musical contribution. Iconic Aboriginal singer-songwriter Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, whose haunting tenor voice and striking synthesis of indigenous song-cycles, Christian hymns and folk music won him wide international acclaim, died late last month at the Royal Darwin Hospital in Australias Northern Territory. Gurrumul performed for HRH Queen Elizabeth II, past-US President Barack Obama, Crown Prince Frederick and Princess Mary of Denmark, in addition to being one of only two Australian performers at the Queens Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace, confirming this multi ARIA award-winning musicians place as an international star who had transcended cultural boundaries while staying true to his culture. It ends with Gurrumul performing a new song at the Sydney Opera House. The final product is polished and seems effortless but the film reveals otherwise. Michael Hohnen Offered a 40-minute window of opportunity to meet him early one Saturday morning at Sydney airport, Maestri seized it. Its a really bad business model in lots of ways, but you have to give in to that world. Shot entirely while he was alive, Gurrumul unable to see was given an audio file of each edit to keep track of its progress and maintain control. "Spot on.". Gurrumul documentary to debut at Berlin film festival watch the trailer. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. ", Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society, "2009 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners", "Gurrumul Is The 2022 NIMA Hall Of Fame Inductee", Video of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu performing, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geoffrey_Gurrumul_Yunupingu&oldid=1141636930, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Articles with dead external links from August 2012, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. [8], In 2015, Yunupingu toured the US. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu Born Blind Aboriginal Singer, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Gurrumul_Yunupingu, http://www.thearchibaldprize.com.au/winners/archibald, http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jul/17/australia.culture. His chin and neck fade into dark greys and blacks. When asked what he would do with any money he makes, he suggested it will go to his mother and aunts, following the Aboriginal tradition of sharing wealth. He just says its his role to tell these stories about his culture.. The only treatment is several hours of dialysis three times per week, or a kidney transplant. [8] He received tributes from the Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, fellow musician Peter Garrett, and Anna Reid, the dean of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He was blind from birth and contracted Hepatitis B at the age of three. He followed this with two other successful studio albumsRrakala (2011) and The Gospel Album (2015)and two concert recordingsLive in Darwin, Australia (2010) and Gurrumul: His Life and Music with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (2013). There's a depth to it all, and the drone of the strings and the popping of horns add their own weight to what is, within each song, a slow-building story. He is from the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu and his mother from the Galpu nation. A member of the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu people, despite being a world traveler, he lived there throughout his life. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Hohnen, a classically trained bass player and co-founder of Skinnyfish Music, was among the first to recognise the unique qualities of Gurrumuls voice. [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. Nea definition National Education Association. He also won three Deadlys, winning for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Gurrumul and Single of the Year for Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind). "I believe he chose to not go on dialysis, to not stay on it. When Gurrumul arrives home after long periods away from touring and recording, we see a great deal of affection upon his return. 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. The album debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts, won multiple ARIA awards and the Australian Music Prize. 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. His musical success as a member of Yothu Yindi, Saltwater Band and then as a solo artist, is a source of great pride in Elcho Island. For further information please contact NPG Copyright. "But I now feel like we did everything possible to live up to the standards that he and his family expected of us. Click the link to confirm your email address. It's not lost on anyone involved with the making of the record how sad it is that its main player won't be here to enjoy its launch. While this rise might have seemed meteoric, Gurrumul paid his dues in a slow build that began with culture-bridging group Yothu Yindi in the late 1980s. Why GURRUMUL is Australia's most important documentary 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. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - History (I Was Born Blind) - YouTube 0:00 / 3:47 Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - History (I Was Born Blind) DramaticoMusic 67.2K subscribers 309K views 13. Below the thick overhang of eyebrows, Gurrumul's eyes are concealed in shadow. It is made with oil on linen, surrounded by a simple two-centimetre-wide black frame. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. 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. 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. 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. The purity of the singer's voice tops it off. The oldest of four, he was born blind and never learned to read Braille. Tired of touring and its associated pressures, Gurrumul left Yothu Yindi, formed the Saltwater Band in 1996 but eventually decided to go solo, releasing his first album in 2008. [10] In December 2020, Yunupingu was listed at number 33 in Rolling Stone Australia's "50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time" issue. "" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. The album reached Triple Platinum in Australia and Gurrumuls voice connected with listeners such as Elton John, will.I.am and Sting. Gurrumul went home for the funeral and ceremonial sorry business, and to take on the cultural responsibilities that were now his. Formerly with Yothu Yindi, he is now with Saltwater Band. Gurrumuls songs speak of identity, spirit, connection with the land, the elements and the ancestral beings to whom he is related. Born blind, his powerfully emotive yet fragile voice has affected the public unlike any other Australian artist. abbreviation. ", A note released with the advance stream of Djarimirri addresses these questions. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was born blind in 1971 as a member of the Gumatj clan and a speaker of the indigenous Yolu . Simply so, what causes gurrumul blindness? 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. For once, the Balanda world is struggling with its incorporation into Yolngu, rather than the other way round. Critics . They talk of their. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, National Portrait Gallery Your email address will not be published. Hohnen was on the phone with Gurrumul, his longtime friend and musical partner, and the biggest star at Skinnyfish, which he co-owns. He is from the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu and his mother from the Galpu nation. As of 2020, it is estimated that Yunupingu has sold half a million records globally. It is like a celebration.'. Central to Gurrumul's career was Michael Hohnen, a musician and producer who established SkinnyFish Records and was the first to encourage the shy singer to step out from the Saltwater Band to develop his own unique style of playing and performing. Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention And Consumer Protection Act Of 2005. I worked on it for over a month, mostly while listening to his music. father [5] An adventurous child, he was taught how to play basketball and ride a push-bike around his community. This portrait of Gumatj man and musician Gurrumul is a large monotone painting. Away from cameras and the stage, we are alsogiven a glimpse of the sense of humour and cheekiness that Gurrumul maintained throughout his life and career. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. The Gurrumul Story is the first compilation album from Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. Djarimirri is essentially, an album that sets ancient Yolngu chants against an orchestral background to make them more palatable to the Western ear. [24] He also won three Deadlys, winning for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Gurrumul and Single of the Year for "Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind)". Gurrumuls uncle, Mandawuy Yunupingu, died from kidney disease in June 2013, aged 56. ", Djarimirri is primarily about legacy. Guy Maestri saw Gurrumul live on New Years Eve last year and says it was truly, an unforgettable experience. It is difficult to adequately describe the complex and heart-rending qualities of Gurrumuls voice but his rendition of Wiyathul with the Errki String Quartet at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney in 2008 is an important example of its alluring character. Gurrumul went double-platinum, earned exceptional . I believe he was born that way if I remember correctly. [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. "It's affected Mark and I very personally," he says, referring to his Skinnyfish Music co-founder, Mark Grose. Deeply embedded in the documentary project, he brought the camera crew along to his fathers funeral. (age35in2009), Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. That killed me, near the end of the film, when his uncle says that he exceeded all our expectations.. 0. To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald or The Age. His second album, Rrakala (2011), made some small inroads into the American market, a notoriously difficult proposition. Gurrumul is the highest-selling Indigenous musician in Australian history. [34], In July 2016, Yunupingu featured on the A.B. [33] He released his third studio album, The Gospel Album, on 31 July 2015. "There are different ways people can go about activism," Hohnen continues. In todays world where the media and the music industries are centred around hype and fashion, Gurrumul is a unique celebrity who has stood the test of time, one who could change the way you breathe (Brisbane Courier Mail, 2008) and forever altered the way people from around the world interact with Yolngu culture. Among those offering tributes to Gurrumul was Midnight Oil lead singer and former Australian education minister Peter Garrett, as well as current Labor Party opposition leader Bill Shorten. Yunupingu speaks only a few words of English, and is said to be acutely shy. Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a common eye condition, yet many people dont realize they have it. The recording is as much a representation of all Yolngu. It commenced in 2004. While Gurrumul never made a public comment or any overt references in his songs to the decades of social neglect and repression of Australias indigenous population, his songs and compelling voice gave forceful and poignant expression not just to the decades of suffering but a powerful longing for a better life. He performed with Yothu Yindi from 1985 to 1992, when he formed the Saltwater Band. Earnings from his music sales went to his parentsDaisy Gurruwiwi and Terry Yunupinguand their extended family, his daughter Jasmine and her mother, and were also used to establish a charitable foundation for indigenous youth. Thank you for registering! source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Gurrumul_Yunupingu. The album was announced on 6 August 2021 and was released on 10 September 2021 on digital platforms, CD, deluxe CD+DVD and vinyl. "One world is Balanda, the other world is Yolngu," as Gurrumul describes it. A new documentary and posthumous album dispel the myths surrounding a beloved Australian Indigenous artist. "At first I was trying to figure out how these different traditions could work together, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. But the basic incompatibility of this shy, private man with the hype and spotlight of the music industry were . .mw-parser-output .awards-table td:last-child{text-align:center}, The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters". 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. Most of the young people I know, they want to continue his legacy, they want to show the world that they can do it. The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. Him and Michael, they've delivered this gift of music. He was the most commercially successful Aboriginal Australian musician at the time of his death. [13], In 1989, at the age of 18, Yunupingu joined Yothu Yindi as a multi-instrumentalist and backing vocalist, notably contributing to their 1991 album, Tribal Voice. being brought to life through the fusion of Gurrumul's voice and guidance in traditional song being fused with the work ofcomposer Erkki Veltheim and the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Yunupingus songs are attracting people who do not normally listen to Aboriginal music and he received standing ovations after two recent performances at the Sydney Opera House. The CD simply titled Gurrumul quickly achieved triple platinum sales status in Australia and sold half a million copies worldwide. 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. 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. I think thats the only way you move forward. The award commenced in 2005. Grose publicly protested the hospital delays. Maestri worked on the painting for a month, listening to Gurrumul's music as he built up the image layer upon layer. "It was a strange way to sign off a conversation," he says. [32] "Bayini" became the first track by an indigenous musician to reach the top five of the Australian charts. 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. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - Wikipedia "Yep, spot on," Gurrumul told the three in Melbourne. Gurrumul and ominis gaunt why is he blind : r/hogwartslegacyJKR "Gurrumul" redirects here. Gurrumul's collaborator and companion Michael Hohnen says Kylie Minogue introduced the blind singer to the Queen. What is gurrumul most famous song? - Tonyajoy.com The Helpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia since 2001. 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. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the, Let me know when this portraits on display. But the European tour is a success and they sign with a US promoter, promising unlimited opportunities. His fragile but uniquely emotive high tenor voice and aura-like persona elicit feelings of peace and longing in listeners. We have an encyclopedia of stories ready to tell people, if they want to listen. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present. Its a heartbreaking moment in the film. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. 'We underestimated Gurrumul': an unlikely career on the edge of two "[37] The album won four ARIA Music Awards at the 2018 ceremony; his daughter Jasmin accepted the award for Best Male Artist on his behalf. 3 on the ARIA Charts. In what has already made history by being the first album sung entirely in language to top the charts on it's release, we see the final musical masterpiece, the posthumously released. By the time Skinnyfish came to release the eponymous Gurrumul in 2008, a year before Saltwater's final album, the man and his music were match fit. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. Bapa means father and it is a beautiful song written by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, in the language of his tribe, Yolnu Matha. Which is better guitar tricks or JamPlay. Eight hours later he was admitted into intensive care. Meibomianitis is inflammation of the meibomian glands, a group of oil-releasing (sebaceous) glands in the eyelids. "This album is an orchestral piece, so it's sheet music. A multi-instrumentalist, he played drums, keyboards, guitar (a right-hand-strung guitar played left-handed) and didgeridoo, but it was the clarity of his singing voice that attracted rave reviews. In a cover article Rolling Stone called him 'Australia's most important voice'. Further listening casts new light on what's happening, though. [8] As of 2020, it is estimated that Yunupingu has sold half a million records globally. It debuted at number 3 on the ARIA Charts. "It would just not have been right to put it out. Aboriginal singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu dies, aged 46 On the other side his neck is cradled by layered fabric, and cut by the line of the cropped image. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is a blind Aboriginal singer/songwriter and guitarist from the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu people of Australia's North East Arnhem Land. 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. Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind) Lyrics: I was born blind and I don't know why / God knows why because he love me so / As I grew up, my spirit knew / Then I learnt to read the world of . Who is the blind Aboriginal singer? - Guitar Reviewed Gurrumuls not an activist or a social commentator, said Hohnen. His songs covered themes of identity, spirit, connection with the land and its elements across multiple Yolngu languages as well as English.