The studio is a converted garage, littered with the signs of the musical and cultural worlds it works in. 'We underestimated Gurrumul': an unlikely career on the edge of two 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. 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. Please check your spam folder for the email, if it does not arrive, click this link Emails will be sent by or on behalf of Universal Music Group 2220 Colorado, Sign up to receive email updates and offers from Gurrumul. Geoffrey Gurrumul, at only 46-years-old, tragically passed away after a long battle with illness. It relies heavily on repetition, and Yolngu songs are traditionally quite short, so Gurrumul's vocal contributions are fleeting. Gurrumul was raised on Elcho Island, off the coast of North East Arnhem Land, as a member of the Gumatj clan. So I think that two worlds thing, that crunch that happens there, is an amazing bit in the film.. From there, the task was to transcribe the yidaki patterns into Western notation. Sydney Morning Herald reviewer Bruce Elder recalled the first time he heard the young singer. That is for other Yolu. The journey that we took with him was almost the opposite. "Gurrumul was such a unique and happy person, someone who, no matter how recalcitrant, always made you feel that fun and music and traditional culture were here to be lived and loved.". This was the final okay from Gurrumul, who as a co-producer had been involved in most aspects of the film. This portrait of Gumatj man and musician Gurrumul is a large monotone painting. Cut off at the forehead, his peaked hairline just appears that the top. [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. With such a big, bright personality, heis a very much loved and honoured member of his community. 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. The Gurrumul Story is the first compilation album from Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (Albums & songs) - Creative Spirits "People forget he was in Yothu Yindi and Saltwater. If interested in music and guitars, then you are in the right place and will learn a lot. 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). ominis gaunt why is he blind. Throughout his childhood, he was built, given or bought tin cans, sticks, toy keyboards, piano accordions, nylon string guitars, and, later, clap sticks (bilma) and didgeridoos (yidaki). Critics heaped praise on the singer, describing his voice as having "transcendental beauty". He just wants to play music.. Your email address will not be published. Prominent Australian Aboriginal singer Gurrumul dies at 46 Just ask. Gurrumul was born and raised in Galiwinku, a small community of about 2,200 people on remote Elcho Island, which is about 560 kilometres, or a two-hour flight, northeast of Darwin, the Northern Territory capital. Asked to comment, Northern Territory Health Minister John Elferink arrogantly dismissed the accusation, rejected calls for an investigation and then provocatively accused Skinnyfish Music of staging a publicity stunt to promote a new album by the singer. 0. But the basic incompatibility of this shy, private man with the hype and spotlight of the music industry were . "One world is Balanda, the other world is Yolngu," as Gurrumul describes it. The best of these include Bapa, which is dedicated to his father, Wukun, about storm clouds rising over Elcho Island, and History (I Was Born Blind), one of his few English-language songs. [8][9] Although his solo career brought him wider acclaim, he was also formerly a member of Yothu Yindi and later of Saltwater Band. Gurrumuls second studio album, Rrakala (2011). Gurrumuls home community of Galiwinku and the surrounding Arnhem Land is Aboriginal territory and a deeply traditional place of multiple clans and tribes. AUSTRALIAN musical great Dr G Yunupingu has died, aged 46, after a long battle with illness, his music label has confirmed. [32] "Bayini" became the first track by an indigenous musician to reach the top five of the Australian charts. Most of his songs are sung in Galpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuyngu, which are all languages of the Yolngu people of northeastern Arnhem Land. On Easter Sunday in 2016, he suffered internal bleeding and was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital by Skinnyfish Music managing director Mark Grose and Yunupingus private nurse. 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. He was born blind, has never learned Braille and does not have a guide dog or use a white cane. [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. "He was special in so many ways, in Western and Yolngu worlds," his niece, Miriam Yirrininba Dhurrkay, tells me. Gurrumul - Movies on Google Play National Endowment for the Arts. 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. Offered a 40-minute window of opportunity to meet him early one Saturday morning at Sydney airport, Maestri seized it. Gurrumul is the personification of a cross-over artist, likewise, the filmmust cross back and forth between his Yolngu and the broader whitefella worlds." Largely self-taught, he plays drums, keyboards, guitar and didgeridoo, but it is his clarity of voice that has attracted rave reviews. Simply so, what causes gurrumul blindness? "It transcends cultural barriers, because music is an international language. "Gurrumul" redirects here. He became the highest-selling Aboriginal artist in history, selling more than half a million copies of his albums, singing in Yolngu and some English. We try and work in a mainstream music industry but within their [Indigenous] system of how we relate to everyone, Hohnen tells Guardian Australia. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons. 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. 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. All of the songs ended up in major keys, a coincidence which to Hohnen's mind gives it a happy vibe. When Gurrumul arrives home after long periods away from touring and recording, we see a great deal of affection upon his return. ominis gaunt why is he blind : r/hogwartslegacyJKR With Manuel Dhurrkay he also fronted Saltwater Band, the group putting out three records in a decade from 1999. Guy Maestris portrait of the musician was conceived after the artist saw Gurrumul perform in Sydney on New Years Eve 2008. His second album Rrakala (2011), hit Platinum and continued the stream of adoration for Gurrumul, with Rolling Stone magazine declaring him Australias Most Important Voice (Rolling Stone, April 2011). 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. "[That] was a real challenge, but also a great pleasure to come up with these arrangements," he recalls. 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. "It was really only in retrospect, when we looked back, that we said, 'Maybe that was goodbye.' Gurrumuls uncle, Mandawuy Yunupingu, died from kidney disease in June 2013, aged 56. [18] The album was certified triple platinum. Gurrumul would go on to perform for Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, among others. 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. We Yolngu live by our own unique balance of life,culture and land and we care for our country and our people.. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (22 January 1971 25 July 2017), often known simply as Gurrumul, was an indigenous Australian musician. 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. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu: Blind Bard from Australia 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. He was born blind. 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'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. He sang stories of his land both in Yolu languages such as Gaalpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, a dialect related to Gumatj, and in English. Click the link to confirm your email address. This was deliberate, Hohnen says. The National Indigenous Music Awards recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. Through the film we get a glimpse of just how special and integral the bond between Gurrumul and Hohnen was, with the latter often being known as the spokesperson for the acutely shy performer both on stage and in interviews. Gift of the artist 2011. The recording is as much a representation of all Yolngu. Gurrumul's face centrally occupies the frame, leaving minimal room for background detail, indistinct light grey brushstrokes behind his neck and face. Sir Elton John, Sting and Bjrk are among his fans. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. The singers friend Michael Hohnen, who produced his album, acts as Yunupingus translator. [5][8][15][16] His first solo album, Gurrumul, was released in 2008, debuting at No. [34], In July 2016, Yunupingu featured on the A.B. Hohnen said his friend was different to other Aboriginal singers because he has no political agenda. He was left handed, taught himself guitar with a right handed guitar that was given to him by read more He performed with Yothu Yindi from 1985 to 1992, when he formed the Saltwater Band. To Briggss mind, Gurrumuls popularity was testament to his hard work, his musicality and his talent. 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. 1 on the iTunes Australia roots music chart in April 2008. 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. 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. 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. His songs covered themes of identity, spirit, connection with the land and its elements across multiple Yolngu languages as well as English. There is no cure for kidney failure. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was born blind in 1971 as a member of the Gumatj clan and a speaker of the indigenous Yolu . That's remarkable for a man who was born blind, is extremely shy and doesn't speak much English. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the, Let me know when this portraits on display. Light spills to the left side of his face, tumbling down his forehead, eyebrow, cheek and lips. [38], In November 2020, Decca Records announced they had signed to the rights to Yunupingu's catalogue and future recordings, announcing forthcoming releases, including limited-edition vinyls, a box set and collaborations among a slate of projects. He first came to prominence as a member of Yolngu band Yothu Yindi in the late 1980s but his 2008 eponymous debut album brought global fame that grew through a series of award-winning recordings and a hectic touring schedule that continued until his 2015 tour of the United States and final studio recording that year. "Michael had this concept of combining the more traditional songs and chanting and yidaki patterns, with this kind of contemporary minimalist orchestral tradition," explains Erkki Veltheim, the Melbourne-based composer and violinist who arranged the album. A gifted Aboriginal singer who was born blind and brought up in poverty has taken Australia by storm, topping the mainstream music charts and earning plaudits for his sublime voice. 5 comments. 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.". On multiple screens in front of them were edits of Williams's documentary, Gurrumul. 'Gurrumul' Review | Berlin 2018 - The Hollywood Reporter In touching and heartbreaking sequences Gurrumul learns of loved ones passing away, and we see the funeral ceremonies that he travels back home for. [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. 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. It is like a celebration.'. [8][28] At the ARIA Music Awards of 2011, he won Best World Music Album and performed "Warwu" featuring Missy Higgins on piano. In April 2018, Gurrumuls posthumously released fourth studio album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow). Australias Most Important Voice Rolling Stone Australia. When Labor was elected, Garrett and Shorten became government ministers, and were actively involved in extending these measures, ensuring that unemployment, poverty and lack of basic health and education services remain endemic among ordinary Aborigines. Gurrumul shot to prominence in 2008 with the release of his debut album Gurrumul, which was nominated for four ARIAs and won two. It was his heart, having battled on through the liver and kidney damage caused by his hepatitis B, that eventually gave out. "" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. Aged only 46, hed succumbed to organ failure relating to the hepatitis B hed contracted in childhood. Blind from birth, he played the guitar upside down with his left hand. International Committee of the Fourth International, The Aboriginal intervention in Australia: Four years on, Gurrumul: an evocative and unique musical contribution. Although his solo career brought him wider acclaim, he was also formerly a member of Yothu Yindi and later of Saltwater Band. Were working to restore it. "He was extremely ill.", Williams, who had known the singer for years before beginning work on the documentary, seems a little haunted, as if Gurrumul knew his time had come. ", Explains Hohnen, "In most situations when an Aboriginal person up here passes away, the name gets changed, and the music and imagery gets stopped," explains Hohnen. He performed with Yothu Yindi from 1985 to 1992, when he formed the Saltwater Band. 'Gurrumul' Review | Berlin 2018 - The Hollywood Reporter "[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. It says, in part, "The family have given permission that, following the final funeral ceremony (which occurred at Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island on November 24 last year), his name and image may once again be used publicly, to ensure that his legacy will continue to inspire both his people and Australians more broadly. The album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow), is released on 13 April through Skinnyfish, Gurrumul review stirring and soulful ode to Australia's most important voice, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Half a million copies of Gurrumul have been sold worldwide. 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. Gurrumul rarely said anything during his concerts and gave no interviews. As of 2020, it is estimated that Yunupingu has sold half a million records globally. It also jumped to No. But the basic incompatibility of this shy, private man with the hype and spotlight of the music industry were . We see a man as he traverses two "different worlds". Honhen points out the cello mimicking rhythms of the yidaki, and says the Yolngu who came to the studio would immediately recognise and know the corresponding dance. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people. 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. The exact details of Gurrumuls death are not clear, but according to press reports he had indicated that he did not want to continue with his difficult and debilitating dialysis treatment. This technology is used to diagnose gland dysfunction (MGD), which indicates an abnormality or blockage of the glands. But initially, Djarimirri isn't an easy listen. And I think Yolngu don't want him forgotten, that's what they said to us. 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. [26] In 2009 a portrait of Yunupingu by Guy Maestri won Australia's major art prize, the Archibald Prize.
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