[35], Yunupingu died at the Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, at about 5:00pm on 25 July 2017, aged 46. Offered a 40-minute window of opportunity to meet him early one Saturday morning at Sydney airport, Maestri seized it. He sang stories of his land both in Yolu languages such as Gaalpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, a dialect related to Gumatj, and in English. International Committee of the Fourth International, The Aboriginal intervention in Australia: Four years on, Gurrumul: an evocative and unique musical contribution. Both men were ministers in the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments from December 2007 to September 2013. His condition had worsened in recent years, to the extent that Skinnyfish had retired the singer from touring in late 2015. Click the link to confirm your email address. Guido Maestri. The cover of Gurrumuls eponymous studio album (2008). 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 sings stories of his land in both languages (Glpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, all Yolu Matha) and English. ", Three days later, on July 25, 2017, Gurrumul died in Royal Darwin Hospital. It was his heart, having battled on through the liver and kidney damage caused by his hepatitis B, that eventually gave out. 2018. "But it's hard when someone's as famous as this. "It's affected Mark and I very personally," he says, referring to his Skinnyfish Music co-founder, Mark Grose. On 25 July 2017, Australia mourned the loss of one of its music greats. 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. Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention And Consumer Protection Act Of 2005. It was nominated for Australian Independent Record Labels Association and ARIA awards. 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. were a close unit, How did gurrumul go blind? Singer-songwriter Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu will release his eponymous solo debut album Gurrumul via Dramatico Entertainment on June 15. Gurrumuls not an activist or a social commentator, said Hohnen. Yunupingu speaks only a few words of English, and is said to be acutely shy. All of the songs ended up in major keys, a coincidence which to Hohnen's mind gives it a happy vibe. 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. 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. He had no use for picks, instead he simply kept his fingernails long. Its a clash of cultures, its a clash of world views, says Skinnyfish Music director and cofounder, Mark Grose. [27], He was again awarded the Australian Independent Record (AIR) Award for Best Independent Blues and Roots Album in 2011 for his album Rrakala. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's legacy: why his music didn't stop. [39], In September 2021, Yunupingu's first anthology was released, entitled The Gurrumul Story. For his part, Gurrumul didnt want to miss learning dhawu the traditional stories that hes expected to care for. More importantly, I got a sense of his presence and this determined the nature of the portrait: quiet and strong. [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. [8], In 2015, Yunupingu toured the US. [30][8] In 2012, Yunupingu was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the University of Sydney. Light appears to catch on his protruding bottom lip. 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. "But I now feel like we did everything possible to live up to the standards that he and his family expected of us. [18] The album was certified triple platinum. His songs covered themes of identity, spirit, connection with the land and its elements across multiple Yolngu languages as well as English. 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. The cover of Gurrumul's posthumous album, Djarimirri (2018). The album debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts, won multiple ARIA awards and the Australian Music Prize. 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 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. The concert was co-presented by music producer Quincy Jones, who has called Gurrumul "unbelievable". "" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. Original track "Take Me Home". Yunupingus success is all the more remarkable because he speaks only a few words of English, is said to be acutely shy, and most of his songs are sung in his native language of Yolngu. Both men feigned concern about the social plight of the majority of Aborigines and voiced platitudes about Gurrumuls music and indigenous disadvantage. These ritualistic proclamations are thoroughly disingenuous. "[13] He later sang hymns in the mission choir and also enjoyed Western pop music, particularly Dire Straits, Cliff Richard, and Stevie Wonder. TheCompanion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store. 69 on the ARIA Charts and No. Did Geoffrey Gurrumul have children? "Our hope for this film is that the people depicted within it, upon watching it, are filled with pride. I always said he balanced the two worlds better than most people. [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. 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. [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. 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. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. [10] In December 2020, Yunupingu was listed at number 33 in Rolling Stone Australia's "50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time" issue. Its a really bad business model in lots of ways, but you have to give in to that world. With a voice that captured the heart of millions across the world, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was an enigmatic talent. 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. 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. The purity of the singer's voice tops it off. [34], In July 2016, Yunupingu featured on the A.B. "This album is an orchestral piece, so it's sheet music. Australias Most Important Voice Rolling Stone Australia. 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. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). 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. 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. Half a million copies of Gurrumul have been sold worldwide. 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. Skinnyfish lost a lot of money on that tour, but their relationship with the artist held and four years later, they were recording again. His first solo album, Gurrumul, debuted at #21 on the ARIA Charts and #1 on the independent chart. From there, the task was to transcribe the yidaki patterns into Western notation. 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. Blind from birth, he found purpose and meaning through songs and music inspired by his community and country on Elcho Island in far North East Arnhem Land. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. In 2008 Yunupingu was nominated for four ARIA awards, winning the awards for Best World Music Album and Best Independent Release. And hes making it new. ", 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. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (born 1970) is an indigenous Australian musician, who sings in the Yolngu language. As his spokesman and double-bass accompanist Michael Hohnen explained to journalists in 2013, Gurrumul hates the media. Michael Hohnen Nea definition National Education Association. He recently won two coveted ARIA Awards among others and was named NT Australian of the Year for 2008. I believe he was born that way if I remember correctly. 0. He was one of only two Australian performers at the Queens Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace. Guido Maestri saw Gurrumul perform in Sydney on New Year's Eve 2008 and found it unforgettable. Gurrumuls uncle, Mandawuy Yunupingu, died from kidney disease in June 2013, aged 56. 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. Aged only 46, hed succumbed to organ failure relating to the hepatitis B hed contracted in childhood. His cheeks are full and prominent. [8] Yunupingu's friend Michael Hohnen produced the album and was his translator, collaborator and confidant. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Gurrumul_Yunupingu. With such a big, bright personality, heis a very much loved and honoured member of his community. Gift of the artist 2011. The singers friend Michael Hohnen, who produced his album, acts as Yunupingus translator. [8], In April 2018, Yunupingu's fourth studio album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow), was released. 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. In October 2015, the album won Gurrumul's third ARIA Award for Best World Music Album. Hes also taking steps to ensure the Yolngu family and community are happy for the releases to go ahead. The whole process became quite an emotional experience.. [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. But the European tour is a success and they sign with a US promoter, promising unlimited opportunities. This technology is used to diagnose gland dysfunction (MGD), which indicates an abnormality or blockage of the glands. 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). When he was four years old, he taught himself how to play a toy piano and an accordion. 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 recording is as much a representation of all Yolngu. Hohnen is in the midst of promoting the documentary, and preparing for the imminent release of Gurrumuls posthumous album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow), which was four years in the making. 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. The award commenced in 2005. As of 2020, it is estimated that Yunupingu has sold half a million records globally. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Aboriginal singer beats poverty and prejudice to top Australian charts. 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.. On the other side his neck is cradled by layered fabric, and cut by the line of the cropped image. Guy Maestris portrait of the musician was conceived after the artist saw Gurrumul perform in Sydney on New Years Eve 2008. It commenced in 2004. I was introduced to Gurrumul by Michael Hohnen, his bass player, record producer and close friend, who explained to him about the Archibald and why I wanted to paint him. Maestri did lots of sketches and studied Gurrumuls face intently. 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". Gurrumul is the personification of a cross-over artist, likewise, the filmmust cross back and forth between his Yolngu and the broader whitefella worlds." We know it happens right around Australia We need to have that discussion about how we can improve care for indigenous Australians so they receive the same level of care as non-indigenous Australians, Lawton said. The final product is polished and seems effortless but the film reveals otherwise. He gave his approval for the final version just three days before he died. These Yolngu songs, some thought to be more than 4000 years old, were traditionally backed by the yidaki wind instrument in repetitive rhythms, giving the lyrics a foundation on which to build. 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. 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. Gurrumul was raised on Elcho Island, off the coast of North East Arnhem Land, as a member of the Gumatj clan. It was an album four years in the making and was completed by producer and arranger Michael Hohnen. 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). Following the Aboriginal tradition of sharing wealth, he said any money he makes goes to his mother and aunts still living on Elcho Island, some 350 miles from Darwin. 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. father 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. Maestri worked on the painting for a month, listening to Gurrumul's music as he built up the image layer upon layer. Yesterday, a posthumous album was added to his canon. Instead of undergoing minor surgery to rectify the problem, which was associated with liver disease, Gurrumul was left overnight in the Rapid Assessment Unit, where he continued vomiting blood. 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 (born 1970) is an indigenous Australian musician, who sings in the Yolngu language. However, a very rare exception has been made byGumatj and Glpu clan leaders for this film. 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. His songs covered themes of identity, spirit, connection with the land and its elements across multiple Yolngu languages as well as English. With a voice that captured the heart of millions across the world, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was an enigmatic talent. "He was special in so many ways, in Western and Yolngu worlds," his niece, Miriam Yirrininba Dhurrkay, tells me. Guy Maestri saw Gurrumul live on New Years Eve last year and says it was truly, an unforgettable experience. ", A note released with the advance stream of Djarimirri addresses these questions. He performed with Yothu Yindi from 1985 to 1992, when he formed the Saltwater Band. Its a heartbreaking moment in the film. To Briggss mind, Gurrumuls popularity was testament to his hard work, his musicality and his talent. (age39in2009). World-renowned indigenous singer Gurrumul has died after a "long battle with illness" aged 46, his management said Wednesday, as Australians hailed his contributions to music. At the same time it dispels the myth that surrounded him, something his friend and musical collaborator Briggs once frustratedly described as this idea that hes some kind of mystical person that lives in the outer Dreamtime somewhere and appears every six months to do a show in Sydney. From a Darwin beach, Gurrumul chatted with Hohnen and Williams as they played him one of the final pieces of music for the documentary. [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. Gurrumul first came to the worlds attention when his self-titled debut album Gurrumul was released to international acclaim in 2008. 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.". 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. Even in his death, he's transcended genres and cultural barriers. He was left handed, taught himself guitar with a right handed guitar that was given to him by read more Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. Gurrumul is front facing, his head tilts down until his right. And I think Yolngu don't want him forgotten, that's what they said to us. Interviews and feature reports from NITV. Sorry, this video has expired Formerly with Yothu Yindi, he is now with Saltwater Band. "It was a strange way to sign off a conversation," he says. 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. 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. 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. He sang . 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. A new documentary and posthumous album dispel the myths surrounding a beloved Australian Indigenous artist. ", The cover of Gurrumuls eponymous studio album (2008).Credit:Courtesy of ABC. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingus friend Michael Hohnen produced the album and acts as his translator. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. As his aunt Susan Dhangal Gurruwiwi narrates: When you talk about Gurrumul, its a big story.. 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. He arranged a hasty sitting with the musician at Sydney airport soon after, taking several sketches and a photograph. And you don't really have any options it's dialysis or nothing.". [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. The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bengali: ), or BELA (), is a nonprofit legal organization established in 1992 to assist efforts to protect the environment. The oldest of four, he was born blind and never learned to read Braille. I made sure to read the lyrics and understand the meaning of each song. Below the thick overhang of eyebrows, Gurrumul's eyes are concealed in shadow. On his left upper forehead, a circular shape of white untouched canvas indicates the light source. "It was like he was becoming a shadow of his former self," Hohnen recalls. They all play it. What made this situation unusual, though, was how it finished up. He died in July 2017 aged 46. 46years (19712017)Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu / Age at death. Critics raved about his unearthly voice, fusion of music styles and authentic Aboriginal sound and stories. [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. National Endowment for the Arts. "The audience requiresa lot of information to make sense of Gurrumuls musical rise because it emerged from a culture thatsso different to that of most people watching the film," Filmmaker Williams says. 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. 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. "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. The music kind of suits that being on the edge of two worlds and the feeling of how its not completely comfortable, says Hohnen. Gurrumul shot to prominence in 2008 with the release of his debut album Gurrumul, which was nominated for four ARIAs and won two. Aged only 46, he'd succumbed to organ failure relating to the hepatitis B he'd contracted in childhood. 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.