They commenced in 2005. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons. "It was really only in retrospect, when we looked back, that we said, 'Maybe that was goodbye.' And I think Yolngu don't want him forgotten, that's what they said to us. 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. While Gurrumuls premature death came as a shock to many of his fans around the world, the 46-year-old had waged a protracted struggle with kidney and liver disease for many years. 0. 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. When he was four years old, he taught himself how to play a toy piano and an accordion. Completed early in 2017, the album was slated for release in the middle of last year. Anyone will be able to read this, and translate it, and play it. 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. Its a heartbreaking moment in the film. 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 . The Australian Music Prize (AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. Hohnen was on the phone with Gurrumul, his longtime friend and musical partner, and the biggest star at Skinnyfish, which he co-owns. And, for me, his legacy was opening people's hearts to one of the greatest assets of this country.". "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. Eight hours later he was admitted into intensive care. Gurrumul rarely said anything during his concerts and gave no interviews. [27], He was again awarded the Australian Independent Record (AIR) Award for Best Independent Blues and Roots Album in 2011 for his album Rrakala. He left the group in 1995 to live full-time on Elcho Island and later co-founded and co-led the Saltwater Band, which was active from 1999 to 2009. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present. 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. It relies heavily on repetition, and Yolngu songs are traditionally quite short, so Gurrumul's vocal contributions are fleeting. In a cover article Rolling Stone called him 'Australia's most important voice'. [8] Yunupingu's friend Michael Hohnen produced the album and was his translator, collaborator and confidant. What made this situation unusual, though, was how it finished up. When Gurrumul arrives home after long periods away from touring and recording, we see a great deal of affection upon his return. So by the time he was Gurrumul, he was ready.". 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.". as well as on it. Gurrumul's collaborator and companion Michael Hohnen says Kylie Minogue introduced the blind singer to the Queen. The studio is a converted garage, littered with the signs of the musical and cultural worlds it works in. [26] In 2009 a portrait of Yunupingu by Guy Maestri won Australia's major art prize, the Archibald Prize. 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. "Gurrumul had hundreds of songs in his head," says Hohnen. I think it's more that they're really proud. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's legacy: why his music didn't stop. "It's affected Mark and I very personally," he says, referring to his Skinnyfish Music co-founder, Mark Grose. 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. Best. Gurrumul's songs speak of identity, spirit, connection with the land, the elements and the ancestral beings to whom he is related. He pauses and sighs. Hohnen, a classically trained bass player and co-founder of Skinnyfish Music, was among the first to recognise the unique qualities of Gurrumuls voice. He had no use for picks, instead he simply kept his fingernails long. The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. Gurrumul is the highest-selling Indigenous musician in Australian history. The cover of Gurrumuls eponymous studio album (2008). The Gurrumul Story - Wikipedia 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. "Michael then said to me, 'Was that a bit strange? 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. 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. He just wants to play music.. 69 on the ARIA Charts and No. Most of his songs are sung in Galpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuyngu, which are all languages of the Yolngu people of northeastern Arnhem Land. Below the thick overhang of eyebrows, Gurrumul's eyes are concealed in shadow. His first album as an acoustic artist, Gurrumul, was released in Australia in 2008 and went double platinum. 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. 'I like singing about the story properly, singing all the right names of land, and ancestors, because I have to give out the right story. 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. SharkDog333 2 hr. It ends with Gurrumul performing a new song at the Sydney Opera House. Gurrumul (born Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu) was a Gumatj man from Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory. Gurrumul - Movies on Google Play "He wasn't writing a lot of new, contemporary style songs but he probably knew 400 or 500 songs, traditionally.". Maestri worked on the painting for a month, listening to Gurrumul's music as he built up the image layer upon layer. Australian singer Gurrumul sells out debut US show - BBC News 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. Sir Elton John, Sting and Bjrk are among his fans. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The film features two funerals one for each of Gurrumuls parents and perhaps as a final mark of respect, it doesnt go for a third. Gurrumuls not an activist or a social commentator, said Hohnen. That's remarkable for a man who was born blind, is extremely shy and doesn't speak much English. In todays world where the media and the music industries are centred around hype and fashion, Gurrumul is a unique celebrity who has stood the test of time, one who could change the way you breathe (Brisbane Courier Mail, 2008) and forever altered the way people from around the world interact with Yolngu culture. By his mid-teens he had joined Indigenous rock group Yothu Yindi and a little while later Hohnen convinced him to pursue a solo career. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu did exactly what youd do if you didnt want to be successful but he succeeded anyway. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. Born blind, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was the lead singer of the Saltwater Band and the keyboard player and guitarist of Yothu Yindi. On 25 July 2017, Australia mourned the loss of one of its music greats. Aged only 46, hed succumbed to organ failure relating to the hepatitis B hed contracted in childhood. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. Critics have heaped praise on the singer and described his voice as having transcendental beauty. 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. Gurrumul shot to prominence in 2008 with the release of his debut album Gurrumul, which was nominated for four ARIAs and won two. Gurrumul would go on to perform for Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, among others. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. He is also said to be very shy, and does not normally speak during performances. As of 2020, it is estimated that Yunupingu has sold half a million records globally. [7] He had lived with liver and kidney damage for many years due to hepatitis B which he had contracted in childhood. I worked on it for over a month, mostly while listening to his music. Its beyond homesickness, Hohnen tells a promoter in explanation. Largely self-taught, he plays drums, keyboards, guitar and didgeridoo, but it is his clarity of voice that has attracted rave reviews. father Gurrumul performed for HRH Queen Elizabeth II, past-US President Barack Obama, Crown Prince Frederick and Princess Mary of Denmark, in addition to being one of only two Australian performers at the Queens Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace, confirming this multi ARIA award-winning musicians place as an international star who had transcended cultural boundaries while staying true to his culture. 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. He had a special place to see, which was his heart. "Yep, spot on," Gurrumul told the three in Melbourne. While Gurrumul never made a public comment or any overt references in his songs to the decades of social neglect and repression of Australias indigenous population, his songs and compelling voice gave forceful and poignant expression not just to the decades of suffering but a powerful longing for a better life. In garnering fans like these, Gurrumul sold out venues the world over, won awards and confounded critics with his wide-ranging success.