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. The important thing was that, in every step of the process, we've made sure that we haven't done anything that doesn't communicate those songs.". The final product is polished and seems effortless but the film reveals otherwise. He recently won two coveted ARIA Awards among others and was named NT Australian of the Year for 2008. Gurrumuls uncle, Mandawuy Yunupingu, died from kidney disease in June 2013, aged 56. 1 in the mainstream iTunes charts.Gurrumul peaked at #4 on the ARIA Charts. 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. [29] In 2019, Double J's Dan Condon described it as one of "7 great performances from the history of the ARIA Awards. Last Friday Shorten and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull attended the annual four-day Garma Festival in the Northern Territory and held hands with local residents in honour of Gurrumul. I think it's more that they're really proud. All of the songs ended up in major keys, a coincidence which to Hohnen's mind gives it a happy vibe. 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 studio is a converted garage, littered with the signs of the musical and cultural worlds it works in. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. 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. 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. Many examples of Gurrumuls remarkable work are available on YouTube. Guido Maestri saw Gurrumul perform in Sydney on New Year's Eve 2008 and found it unforgettable. His gentle lament-like songs were mainly performed in Gumatj, Galpu or Djambarrpuynulanguages of the Yolngu people of north-eastern Arnhem Landwith references to sacred bush animals, the sea and the seasons, tribal ancestors, funeral songs, love for his parents and reverence for the land. source: http://www.thearchibaldprize.com.au/winners/archibald, Aboriginal singer beats poverty and prejudice to top Australian charts "Spot on.". BAPA. source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Gurrumul_Yunupingu. "One world is Balanda, the other world is Yolngu," as Gurrumul describes it. working together "It's affected Mark and I very personally," he says, referring to his Skinnyfish Music co-founder, Mark Grose. 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. 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. He performed with Yothu Yindi from 1985 to 1992, when he formed the Saltwater Band. "" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. , carries the legacy of this celebrated and important voice, and offers a rare insight into the life of the shy musician beyond the stage and the spotlight. 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. Djarimirri is essentially, an album that sets ancient Yolngu chants against an orchestral background to make them more palatable to the Western ear. 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). The contrast of light and darkened eyes imbues the portrait with mystery.His nostrils are round against the broad space between his nose and slender upper lip. When he was four years old, he taught himself how to play a toy piano and an accordion. By subscribing, you agree to SBSs terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS. The CD simply titled Gurrumul quickly achieved triple platinum sales status in Australia and sold half a million copies worldwide. [7] He had lived with liver and kidney damage for many years due to hepatitis B which he had contracted in childhood. And hes making it new. Where Djarimirri is different, though, is in its minimalism; Hohnen cites the likes of Michael Nyman, Steve Reich, Arvo Prt and Philip Glass as influences. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Aboriginal singer beats poverty and prejudice to top Australian charts. 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. ominis gaunt why is he blind. "Our hope for this film is that the people depicted within it, upon watching it, are filled with pride. His fragile but uniquely emotive high tenor voice and aura-like persona elicit feelings of peace and longing in listeners. 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. He performed with Yothu Yindi from 1985 to 1992, when he formed the Saltwater Band. I made sure to read the lyrics and understand the meaning of each song. Gurrumul documentary to debut at Berlin film festival watch the trailer. The whole process became quite an emotional experience.. "There are different ways people can go about activism," Hohnen continues. From a Darwin beach, Gurrumul chatted with Hohnen and Williams as they played him one of the final pieces of music for the documentary. he says. Even though he couldn't see the nature, he was born to feel the nature." Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. 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. Instead of his usual "see you later", Gurrumul ended the call by saying goodbye, which he'd not done before. Meibomianitis is inflammation of the meibomian glands, a group of oil-releasing (sebaceous) glands in the eyelids. It was an album four years in the making and was completed by producer and arranger Michael Hohnen. Short curly black hair frames his head. The cover of Gurrumuls eponymous studio album (2008). 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. 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. Our ProgramsFAQCurrent AppealsTerms & ConditionsPrivacy Policy, Established 2013A Company Limited by GuaranteeCharity ABN 25163166283Public Benevolent Institution (PBI)Endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR)Charity Street Address: L1 66 Smith St Darwin 0800. LipiScan is a non-invasive procedure that helps our doctors see and analyze the health of your Meibomian glands. Gurrumul: a man with a strong sense of humour, deep ties to his homelands and little taste for the limelight. How do you play C minor pentatonic scale on guitar? "It was really only in retrospect, when we looked back, that we said, 'Maybe that was goodbye.' Critics raved about his unearthly voice, fusion of music styles and authentic Aboriginal sound and stories. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the, Let me know when this portraits on display. Love Is Blind alum Deepti Vempati took a dip back in the dating pool after her two recent splits, she exclusively tells Life & Style in a video interview, but . He sits in the centre of the studio in front of a computer screen and two large speakers and flicks through the songs, which were recorded in Sydney and bring western classical elements to traditional Yolngu music. To Briggs's mind, Gurrumul's popularity was testament to his hard work, his musicality and his talent. "He was special in so many ways, in Western and Yolngu worlds," his niece, Miriam Yirrininba Dhurrkay, tells me. [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. Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a common eye condition, yet many people dont realize they have it. "Gurrumul had hundreds of songs in his head," says Hohnen. A year later he began to play a guitar; despite being a left-hander, he played a right-handed guitar, holding it upside down, which he would continue to do throughout his career. In July last year, filmmaker Paul Williams, sound engineer Pip Atherstone-Reid and Michael Hohnen, creative director of Darwin record label Skinnyfish Music, were in an editing room at Windmill studios in Collingwood, Melbourne. 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. A rare and moving visual of how life and death is honoured in Yolngucommunity. He was born blind, has never learned Braille and does not have a guide dog or use a white cane. SharkDog333 2 hr. ago. We used to think Gurrumul wouldnt go far, would never show his independence, says Yunupingu. A new documentary and posthumous album dispel the myths surrounding a beloved Australian Indigenous artist. [31] In December 2013, Yunupingu released a live album, titled His Life and Music, which was recorded in the Sydney Opera House and released through ABC Music. beyond the stage 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. Gurrumul (born Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu) was a Gumatj man from Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory. Gurrumul sang about Gumatj stories in Yolngu, but his song 'Gurrumul History' was in English, to spread his story. 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. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. 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. Gurrumul went home for the funeral and ceremonial sorry business, and to take on the cultural responsibilities that were now his. The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. [8][9] Although his solo career brought him wider acclaim, he was also formerly a member of Yothu Yindi and later of Saltwater Band. Gurrumul went double-platinum, earned exceptional . The oldest of four, he was born blind and never learned to read Braille. In Yolngu lore the name, image and voice of the recently deceased is retired from all public use. 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. Born blind, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was the lead singer of the Saltwater Band and the keyboard player and guitarist of Yothu Yindi. [8], In 2013, Yunupingu joined Delta Goodrem for a special performance of "Bayini" on The Voice Australia. Hes also taking steps to ensure the Yolngu family and community are happy for the releases to go ahead. The cover of Gurrumul's posthumous album, Djarimirri (2018). "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. International Committee of the Fourth International, The Aboriginal intervention in Australia: Four years on, Gurrumul: an evocative and unique musical contribution. He gave his approval for the final version just three days before he died. It was a professional partnership which helped to bring Gurrumul's unique interpretation of the 'manikay' (the songlines of his people) to life. Skinnyfish lost a lot of money on that tour, but their relationship with the artist held and four years later, they were recording again. Gurrumul would go on to perform for Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, among others. The award commenced in 2005. They talk of their. The post-pod life looks great on her! Although a few of his songs are written and sung in English, he does not speak the language. 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. father [10], The first of four sons born to Ganyinurra (Daisy), of the Gumal clan, and Nyambi "Terry" Yunupingu, a Gumatj clansman,[11] Yunupingu was born blind in Galiwin'ku, Elcho Island, in 1971,[12] situated off the coast of Arnhem Land in northern Australia, about 530 kilometres (330mi) east of Darwin. The wall above a shelf of Skinnyfish CDs is lined with art from the Tiwi Islands and a portrait of Gurrumul. ", The Gospel Album (2015).Credit:Courtesy of ABC. He doesnt want to be photographed or talk to anyone. Source: Supplied. **Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this content contains images of people who have died. His condition had worsened in recent years, to the extent that Skinnyfish had retired the singer from touring in late 2015. [25], In November 2009, Yunupingu was named Best New Independent Artist and his album, Gurrumul, Best Independent Release and Best Independent Blues/Roots Release at the Australian Independent Record (AIR) Awards held at Melbourne's Corner Hotel. I think there was a big education for him as well with that film, of hearing the respect, and what his uncle would say about him, Hohnen says, his voice catching. Gurrumuls death at such an early age is another tragic confirmation of the huge social gapin health as well as employment, education, housing and other basic indicesbetween indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. ", The cover of Gurrumuls eponymous studio album (2008).Credit:Courtesy of ABC. Click the link to confirm your email address. Hohnen was on the phone with Gurrumul, his longtime friend and musical partner, and the biggest star at Skinnyfish, which he co-owns. Royalties from Djarimirri will flow, in part, into the Gurrumul Yunupingu Foundation, which has a vision statement that speaks of creating "greater opportunities for remote Indigenous young people to realise their full potential and contribute to culturally vibrant and sustainable communities". The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bengali: ), or BELA (), is a nonprofit legal organization established in 1992 to assist efforts to protect the environment. Blind from birth, he played the guitar upside down with his left hand. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); It could be that you are wondering whether you are in the right place. An oversized NT flag is draped over a shelf and a couple of swags are thrown on top of a storage cupboard, ready for the next trip to the outback. 1 on the independent chart. Gurrumul would go on to perform for Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, among others. Remote indigenous patients are often traumatised or sink into depression as a result of the illness and the distances they must travel away from their families to receive treatment. 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.". [35], Yunupingu died at the Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, at about 5:00pm on 25 July 2017, aged 46. ", Three days later, on July 25, 2017, Gurrumul died in Royal Darwin Hospital. The world wants to know more about him. With a voice that captured the heart of millions across the world, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was an enigmatic talent. Its a heartbreaking moment in the film. abbreviation. Gurrumul's songs speak of identity, spirit, connection with the land, the elements and the ancestral beings to whom he is related. The Most Beautiful Song Ever Written (Australian Aboriginal) This song is called Wiyathul and its by a blind aboriginal man called Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. They commenced in 2005. 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. The intervention tore up the democratic rights of Aborigines in the territory, quarantined social welfare and pensions, seized indigenous land and imposed repressive controls on indigenous communities. 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. 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. 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. "It was like he was becoming a shadow of his former self," Hohnen recalls. He sings stories of his land in both languages (Glpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, all Yolu Matha) and English. 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.. On 25 July 2017, Australia mourned the loss of one of its music greats. So I think that two worlds thing, that crunch that happens there, is an amazing bit in the film.. Even in his death, he's transcended genres and cultural barriers. To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald or The Age. Aged only 46, hed succumbed to organ failure relating to the hepatitis B hed contracted in childhood. ", A note released with the advance stream of Djarimirri addresses these questions. 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". "[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. Yesterday, a posthumous album was added to his canon. For further information please contact NPG Copyright. This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. [39], In September 2021, Yunupingu's first anthology was released, entitled The Gurrumul Story. 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. Rejecting the life-style and accoutrements usually associated with successful recording artists, he continued living on Elcho Island. The singers friend Michael Hohnen, who produced his album, acts as Yunupingus translator. Australias Most Important Voice Rolling Stone Australia. "He wasn't writing a lot of new, contemporary style songs but he probably knew 400 or 500 songs, traditionally.". 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 Australias Northern Territory. A member of the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu people, despite being a world traveler, he lived there throughout his life. He would just love hearing all of the voices in there and all the memories from his days in different bands, and what people were saying about him, says Michael Hohnen, cofounder of the Skinnyfish music label and Gurrumuls longtime friend and musical partner.
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