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AUSTRALIAN musical great Dr G Yunupingu has died, aged 46, after a long battle with illness, his music label has confirmed. He had also, with Hohnen and composer Erkki Veltheim, created or reworked about 50 pieces of music specifically for the documentary. Born blind, the reluctant star never gave any interviews and was painfully shy, but his music drew worldwide acclaim, despite the fact that he performed in his Gumatj dialect which is understood by only around 3,000 people. The National Indigenous Music Awards recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. His albums were praised by music critics and singer-songwriters alike, including Sting, Elton John, Paul Kelly and others who performed with him. It then unexpectedly reached No. [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. "Our hope for this film is that the people depicted within it, upon watching it, are filled with pride. His family, while supportive of his success in the lead-up to the US tour, had flagged their apprehension about his expansion into the Balanda or white persons world; they were happy for him to be the bridge between two cultures, but worry that he could not maintain his cultural ties. For his part, Gurrumul didnt want to miss learning dhawu the traditional stories that hes expected to care for. That's remarkable for a man who was born blind, is extremely shy and doesn't speak much English. "He'd finished his contribution, that side of things was over, and that was the last time I spoke to him. From a Darwin beach, Gurrumul chatted with Hohnen and Williams as they played him one of the final pieces of music for the documentary. How do you play C minor pentatonic scale on guitar? 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. Living a traditional Yolngu life, his breakthrough album 'Gurrumul . He performed with Yothu Yindi from 1985 to 1992, when he formed the Saltwater Band. 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. 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. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (born 1970) is an indigenous Australian musician, who sings in the Yolngu language. 1 on the independent chart. LipiScan is a non-invasive procedure that helps our doctors see and analyze the health of your Meibomian glands. But I can play and sing and tell people things through my songs. he says. The album is an ambitious project which continues Gurrumuls habit of marrying together the two worlds he lived in. "Gurrumul had hundreds of songs in his head," says Hohnen. 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 Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bengali: ), or BELA (), is a nonprofit legal organization established in 1992 to assist efforts to protect the environment. The album and the documentary are both a bittersweet final offering from a truly gifted and special artist, whose legacy will live on and continue to touch the lives and imagination of generations to come. 0. abbreviation. His chin and neck fade into dark greys and blacks. [8], In April 2018, Yunupingu's fourth studio album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow), was released. source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jul/17/australia.culture, Your email address will not be published. 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. [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. A true testament to his legacy, the Gurrumul documentary released in 2018 has been screened internationally and won the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Award (AACTA) for best documentary, showing a deep worldwide appreciation for his story and songs. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. Gurrumul has won 9 awards from 21 nominations.[59]. Just ask. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. Did Geoffrey Gurrumul have children? "One world is Balanda, the other world is Yolngu," as Gurrumul describes it. One baroque-style track has overlapping melodies that mirror the communal expression of Yolngu ceremonial songs. Singer-songwriter Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu will release his eponymous solo debut album Gurrumul via Dramatico Entertainment on June 15. 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. Although a few of his songs are written and sung in English, he does not speak the language. 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. Instead of his usual "see you later", Gurrumul ended the call by saying goodbye, which he'd not done before. Guy Maestris portrait of the musician was conceived after the artist saw Gurrumul perform in Sydney on New Years Eve 2008. The collar on his right covers the neck and makes the jaw line directly. He had no use for picks, instead he simply kept his fingernails long. Rejecting the life-style and accoutrements usually associated with successful recording artists, he continued living on Elcho Island. "It was like he was becoming a shadow of his former self," Hohnen recalls. Gurrumul would go on to perform for Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, among others. "It transcends cultural barriers, because music is an international language. Three days later, on July 25, 2017, Gurrumul died in Royal Darwin Hospital. Gurrumul's face centrally occupies the frame, leaving minimal room for background detail, indistinct light grey brushstrokes behind his neck and face. 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. 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 studio is a converted garage, littered with the signs of the musical and cultural worlds it works in. On Gurrumul's left between his hairline and ear lobe, a fine line of side burn arcs in unison with the extended line of his full, high cheekbone in contrast with his fleshy left ear behind it, the lines of which undulate and small irregular soft folds. Hohnen and Gurrumul laugh as announcers and TV hosts mispronounce his name, and cackle as Guy Maestri wins the Archibald prize for his portrait of Gurrumul and reads aloud a message from the singer: I didnt win this money, so please dont call me asking for some of it.. For once, the Balanda world is struggling with its incorporation into Yolngu, rather than the other way round. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. 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] Yunupingu's friend Michael Hohnen produced the album and was his translator, collaborator and confidant. "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. It was nominated for Australian Independent Record Labels Association and ARIA awards. He was born blind, has never learned Braille and does not have a guide dog or use a white cane. 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. "" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. His first album as an acoustic artist, Gurrumul, was released in Australia in 2008 and went double platinum. He was blind from birth and contracted Hepatitis B at the age of three. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHillman2014 (, Australian Independent Record (AIR) Awards, Australasian Performing Right Association, Honorary awards: Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, "Dr G Yunupingu: Australia's most prominent Indigenous musician dies aged 46", "Dr G. Yunupingu, Australian Aboriginal Singer, Dies at 46", "Dr G. Yunupingu: An exquisite singer who 'spoke to the soul', "Decca Australia signs Gurrumul, new releases in pipeline", "Australian indigenous singer Dr G. Yunupingu dies", "Case Study: Inspiring Stories Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu", "Aboriginal musician astonishes Australian audiences", "Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's legacy: why his music didn't stop", "Aboriginal singer beats poverty and prejudice to top Australian charts", "Gurrumul interview: the mystical heart of Australia", Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR), 2012, "7 Great Performances from the History of the ARIA Awards Music Reads", "Delta to sing Gurrumul's indigenous anthem Bayini on The Voice tonight", "Courtney Barnett, Hermitude, Tame Impala Lead 2015 ARIA Award Nominations", "Gurrumul review stirring and soulful ode to Australia's most important voice", "50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time number 33: Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu", "Uperoleia gurrumuli Catullo and Keogh, 2021 | Amphibian Species of the World", "ARIA Charts Accreditations 2011 Albums", "ARIA Charts Accreditations 2012 Albums", Australian Recording Industry Association, Australian Independent Record Labels Association, "AIR Awards:2019 AIR Awards Winners Announced! 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. It also jumped to No. With a voice that captured the heart of millions across the world, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was an enigmatic talent. [34], In July 2016, Yunupingu featured on the A.B. 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. 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. [8] On his death he was described as an important figure in fostering racial harmony and as a voice of Indigenous Australians. The portrait won the Archibald Prize for 2009. 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. In a culture where the names and images of those that have passed over are retired, a generous allowance from Gurrumul's family has made thisstrict protocol permissible, where themusician's important role in lifecontinuesbeyond, as a bridge between two cultures. 5 comments. 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.". Born blind, the gifted musician leads a traditional lifestyle on Elcho Island in Arnhem Land and sings in his native Yolngu language, but his fame is spreading the world. 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. 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. On the day the team is to embark on the US tour, Gurrumul doesnt show up to Darwin airport. He was instrumental in persuading the singer to embark on a solo career and with the appropriate musical setting. But the basic incompatibility of this shy, private man with the hype and spotlight of the music industry were . He cant be found and the tour collapses. Eight hours later he was admitted into intensive care. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); It could be that you are wondering whether you are in the right place. Largely self-taught, he plays drums, keyboards, guitar and didgeridoo, but it is his clarity of voice that has attracted rave reviews. Gurrumul Yunupingu 1971 2017 Born blind, his powerfully emotive yet fragile voice has affected the public unlike any other Australian artist. Elton John, Sting and Bjrk were among his fans. 46years (19712017)Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu / Age at death. Many examples of Gurrumuls remarkable work are available on YouTube. 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. 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. Toooften Aboriginal Australians feel their culture is hijacked by another agenda, a balanda (whitefella)agenda, and distorted beyond recognition. The album debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts, won multiple ARIA awards and the Australian Music Prize. 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. 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. [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. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's legacy: why his music didn't stop. Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a common eye condition, yet many people dont realize they have it. A rare and moving visual of how life and death is honoured in Yolngucommunity. 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. TheCompanion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store. I believe he was born that way if I remember correctly. The purity of the singer's voice tops it off. He sings stories of his land in both languages (Glpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, all Yolu Matha) and English. Critics raved about his unearthly voice, fusion of music styles and authentic Aboriginal sound and stories. [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. The oldest of four, he was born blind and never learned to read Braille. "Dialysis was not something that he enjoyed," Hohnen says. On 25 July 2017, Australia mourned the loss of one of its music greats. 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. ", The cover of Gurrumuls eponymous studio album (2008).Credit:Courtesy of ABC. It relies heavily on repetition, and Yolngu songs are traditionally quite short, so Gurrumul's vocal contributions are fleeting. Gurrumul's songs, like his own life, encompass a span of human experience as great as any on. Although, spending a lot of time with his family, they said to us, even at his funeral, that no one's stopped listening to his music. "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 a cover article Rolling Stone called him 'Australia's most important voice'. 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. 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. Please try again later. 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. 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 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. They all play it. 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. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. He said it would be wrong to call the singer an overnight success since he had played for many years with the well-known Yothu Yindi band before forming his own Saltwater Band and then striking out on his own. This was the final okay from Gurrumul, who as a co-producer had been involved in most aspects of the film. He was born blind, "He wasn't writing a lot of new, contemporary style songs but he probably knew 400 or 500 songs, traditionally.". 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. [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. 2018. How did gurrumul go blind? "This album is an orchestral piece, so it's sheet music. 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. The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency, The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others.