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Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. Gurrumul: a man with a strong sense of humour, deep ties to his homelands and little taste for the limelight. Guido Maestri saw Gurrumul perform in Sydney on New Year's Eve 2008 and found it unforgettable. It is a deteriorating, awkwardly silent affair that ends with Hohnen lowering his head to the desk in front of him. 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. He just says its his role to tell these stories about his culture.. were a close unit, In 2008 Yunupingu was nominated for four ARIA awards, winning the awards for Best World Music Album and Best Independent Release. To Briggs's mind, Gurrumul's popularity was testament to his hard work, his musicality and his talent. He also forged a successful solo career. [17] Gurrumul peaked at No. "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. 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. Thank you for registering! Which famous people has gurrumul performed for. He was one of only two Australian performers at the Queens Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace. 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 his left upper forehead, a circular shape of white untouched canvas indicates the light source. 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. The extraordinary song was inspired by the cries of native bush fowls. When Gurrumul arrives home after long periods away from touring and recording, we see a great deal of affection upon his return. abbreviation. 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. 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. 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. In fact, the documentary is the closest any journalism has come to explaining the challenge of living in two cultures which both demanded so much from Gurrumul. ", His niece, Miriam Yirrininba Dhurrkay, says Gurrumul's life and music are still inspiring Yolngu people. It then unexpectedly reached No. That killed me, near the end of the film, when his uncle says that he exceeded all our expectations.. Offered a 40-minute window of opportunity to meet him early one Saturday morning at Sydney airport, Maestri seized it. 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 . We see a man as he traverses two "different worlds". 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. He was blind from birth and contracted Hepatitis B at the age of three. The documentary opens with one of Gurrumuls earliest and only media interviews, a filmed sit-down with the ABCs flagship current affairs show. Word had been going around all day and the rumours were true people really were moved to tears. Believing that this inspiring, amazing man would be an ideal subject for a portrait, Maestri managed to track Gurrumul down in Darwin with the help of a friend in the music industry only to discover that he was flying to New York the following weekend. Critics heaped praise on the singer, describing his voice as having "transcendental beauty". 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. 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. His songs covered themes of identity, spirit, connection with the land and its elements across multiple Yolngu languages as well as English. [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. 5 comments. 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. ago. "People forget he was in Yothu Yindi and Saltwater. They commenced in 2005. as well as on it. The image is made with variously dense, watery and inconsistent brush strokes, creating a allayed three dimensional quality in rich tones of black and gray that construct a voluminous contemplative face. 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. [5] An adventurous child, he was taught how to play basketball and ride a push-bike around his community. [35], Yunupingu died at the Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, at about 5:00pm on 25 July 2017, aged 46. The wall above a shelf of Skinnyfish CDs is lined with art from the Tiwi Islands and a portrait of Gurrumul. With a voice that captured the heart of millions across the world, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was an enigmatic talent. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. "Yeah. Gurrumul would go on to perform for Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, among others. There is no cultural or social context for Gurrumul to understand or translate Every Breath You Take into Yolngu Matha to say nothing of the glaring irony of asking him to sing the line Ill be watching you. The journey that we took with him was almost the opposite. In 2009, he was named Best New Independent Artist and the album won both Best Independent Release and Best Independent Blues/Roots Release at the Australian Independent Record (AIR) Awards. Michael Hohnen with Gurrumul, in a still from the documentary. 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. Ted Gondarra, Elcho Island resident stated that the final wish for the film, which was given approval by Gurrumul only a few days before he passed away, was that it would be a source of continued pride for the community. 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. For further information please contact NPG Copyright. He was born blind. And you don't really have any options it's dialysis or nothing.". About Geoffrey. He sings stories of his land in both languages (Glpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, all Yolu Matha) and English. The recording is as much a representation of all Yolngu. 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. 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. In 2008, Gurrumul first gained international attention when his self-titled first solo album debuted at #1 on the independent music charts and peaked at #3 on the ARIA charts. 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. There's this ownership of him. It also jumped to No. It was an album four years in the making and was completed by producer and arranger Michael Hohnen. 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. "" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. "[13] He later sang hymns in the mission choir and also enjoyed Western pop music, particularly Dire Straits, Cliff Richard, and Stevie Wonder. We Yolngu live by our own unique balance of life,culture and land and we care for our country and our people.. 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. 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. "Our hope for this film is that the people depicted within it, upon watching it, are filled with pride. He was best known as a singer. '," Williams remembers. Below the thick overhang of eyebrows, Gurrumul's eyes are concealed in shadow. The whole process became quite an emotional experience.. The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (22 January 1971 25 July 2017), often known simply as Gurrumul, was an indigenous Australian musician. Although a few of his songs are written and sung in English, he does not speak the language. He had no use for picks, instead he simply kept his fingernails long. "It was a strange way to sign off a conversation," he says. 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. He performed with Yothu Yindi from 1985 to 1992, when he formed the Saltwater Band. Yunupingu, who was born blind, has an ongoing liver condition due to contracting Hepatitis B from a young age, Skinny Fish Music managing director Mark Grose told the ABC. Avoiding the use of a deceased person's first name is part of grieving practice amongst many Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Its an observation wryly made midway through a new documentary on the life and career of the late singer, a blind Gumatj man from Arnhem Land in Australias remote north.One of the most famous Indigenous performers in modern Australian history, he left much behind when he died last year musically, personally and culturally. Lighthearted yarn on all things NBA and NBL, Join Narelda Jacobs and John Paul Janke to get unique Indigenous perspectives and cutting-edge analysis of the biggest stories of the week. 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 . Sir Elton John, Sting and Bjrk are among his fans. The award commenced in 2005. SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways throughout Australia. 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.. Source: Supplied. This portrait of Gumatj man and musician Gurrumul is a large monotone painting. 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. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. 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. Aged only 46, he'd succumbed to organ failure relating to the hepatitis B he'd contracted in childhood. Its a clash of cultures, its a clash of world views, says Skinnyfish Music director and cofounder, Mark Grose. "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. 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. ominis gaunt why is he blind. Audio description written by Meredith Hughes and voiced by Rory Walker, Guido Maestri 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. [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. The 12 songs that make up Djarimirri all relate to specific totems and aspects of Yolngu culture, including Waak (Crow), Ngarrpiya (Octopus), Gapu (Freshwater), Baru (Saltwater Crocodile), Marrayarr (Flag). did he go blind from his family torturing him or was he born that way i don't remember if they expanded on it or not. Gurrumul has won 9 awards from 21 nominations.[59]. Rejecting the life-style and accoutrements usually associated with successful recording artists, he continued living on Elcho Island. 3 on the ARIA Charts. To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald or The Age. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingus friend Michael Hohnen produced the album and acts as his translator. I made sure to read the lyrics and understand the meaning of each song. Australias Most Important Voice Rolling Stone Australia. Gurrumul performs during a media call for the Sydney festival First Night. 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. Interviews and feature reports from NITV. Add a Comment. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. 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. "One world is Balanda, the other world is Yolngu," as Gurrumul describes it. When telling of the life of Gurrumul, his culture and community was a hugely important aspect of the film. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Closing their eyes, and opening their hearts, they will see him," Gurruwiwi says. As his aunt Susan Dhangal Gurruwiwi narrates: When you talk about Gurrumul, its a big story.. Jasmine YunupinguGeoffrey Gurrumul . That is for other Yolu. "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. In October 2015, the album won Gurrumul's third ARIA Award for Best World Music Album. Did Geoffrey Gurrumul have children? 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. Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention And Consumer Protection Act Of 2005. Gurrumul rarely said anything during his concerts and gave no interviews. 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 album reached Triple Platinum in Australia and Gurrumuls voice connected with listeners such as Elton John, will.I.am and Sting. Veltheim started by listening to the recordings of songs Gurrumul had already made back on Elcho. The portrait won the Archibald Prize for 2009. Short curly black hair frames his head. [19][20] He did not generally give interviews, instead relying on Hohnen to speak for him, following a Yolu custom that dictated that Yunupingu's role was only to sing, while his elders spoke publicly. 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 most unforgettable aspect of his musicits essencewas the sensuality and emotional power of his voice, which had an otherworldly character that seemed to speak across the ages. The album was announced on 6 August 2021 and was released on 10 September 2021 on digital platforms, CD, deluxe CD+DVD and vinyl.