Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (born 1970) is an Indigenous Australian
musician, who sings in the Yolngu language.
He was born in Galiwin'ku (Elcho Island
), off the coast of Arnhem Land
, Northern Australia
about 350 miles from Darwin
. He is from the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu
and his mother from the Galpu nation. He was born blind
, has never learned Braille
and does not have a guide dog
or use a white cane
. Yunupingu speaks only a few words of English, and is said to be acutely shy.
He plays drums, keyboards, guitar (a right hand-strung guitar left-handed) and didgeridoo, but it is the clarity of his singing voice that has attracted rave reviews. He sings stories of his land in both languages (Gälpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, all Yolŋu Matha) and English. Formerly with Yothu Yindi
, he is now with Saltwater Band
.
s, winning the awards for Best World Music Album and Best Independent Release. 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)".
His first solo album, Gurrumul
, debuted at #21 on the ARIA Charts and #1 on the independent chart. Gurrumul peaked at #3 on the ARIA Charts. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's friend Michael Hohnen produced the album and acts as his translator. Critics have heaped praise on the singer, describing his voice as having "transcendental beauty". Elton John
, Sting and Björk
are among his fans. 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.
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 Jägermeister
AIR (Australian Independent Record Labels Association ) Awards held at Melbourne's Corner Hotel
.
In January 2009, his song, "Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind)", was featured on the British TV Show, Skins
.
On New Year's Eve
2008, Yunupingu performed on Sydney New Year's Eve 2008–09
with his song "Bäpa". He is the 2009 Northern Territory
recipient of Australian of the Year
and he performed "Bäpa" at the ceremony.
In 2009 a portrait of Gurrumul by Guy Maestri won Australia's major art prize, The Archibald Prize
.
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
musician, who sings in the Yolngu language.
He was born in Galiwin'ku (Elcho Island
Elcho Island
Elcho Island is an island off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. It is located at the southern end of the Wessel Islands group located in the East Arnhem Region. The island's largest community is the settlement of Galiwin'ku....
), off the coast of Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
, Northern Australia
Northern Australia
The term northern Australia is generally known to include two State and Territories, being Queensland and the Northern Territory . The part of Western Australia north of latitude 26° south—a definition widely used in law and State government policy—is also usually included...
about 350 miles from Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
. He is from the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu
Yolngu
The Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...
and his mother from the Galpu nation. He was born blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
, has never learned Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
and does not have a guide dog
Guide dog
Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles.Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs...
or use a white cane
White cane
A white cane is used by many people who are blind or visually impaired, both as a mobility tool and as a courtesy to others. Not all modern white canes are designed to fulfill the same primary function, however: There are at least five varieties of this tool, each serving a slightly different...
. Yunupingu speaks only a few words of English, and is said to be acutely shy.
He plays drums, keyboards, guitar (a right hand-strung guitar left-handed) and didgeridoo, but it is the clarity of his singing voice that has attracted rave reviews. He sings stories of his land in both languages (Gälpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, all Yolŋu Matha) and English. Formerly with Yothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi are an Australian band with Aboriginal and balanda members formed in 1986. Aboriginal members come from Yolngu homelands near Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula in Northern Territory's Arnhem Land...
, he is now with Saltwater Band
Saltwater Band
Saltwater Band are an Indigenous Roots band from Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island, around 560 kilometres from Darwin. The members are Yolngu and they sing mostly in language. Their songs are a mixture of traditional songs and reggae/ska influenced pop...
.
Career history
In 2008 Yunupingu was nominated for four ARIA awardARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
s, winning the awards for Best World Music Album and Best Independent Release. He also won three Deadlys
The Deadlys
The Deadlys are an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. Vibe Australia hosts the awards, which for have been held at the Sydney Opera House since 2001. The first Deadly awards were held in 1995...
, winning for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Gurrumul
Gurrumul
Gurrumul is the debut album for Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. It is performed in a mixture of both Yolngu and English. It reached number three on the ARIA charts, won ARIA awards for Best World Music Album and Best Independent Release and won a Deadly for Album of the Year...
and Single of the Year for "Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind)".
His first solo album, Gurrumul
Gurrumul
Gurrumul is the debut album for Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. It is performed in a mixture of both Yolngu and English. It reached number three on the ARIA charts, won ARIA awards for Best World Music Album and Best Independent Release and won a Deadly for Album of the Year...
, debuted at #21 on the ARIA Charts and #1 on the independent chart. Gurrumul peaked at #3 on the ARIA Charts. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's friend Michael Hohnen produced the album and acts as his translator. Critics have heaped praise on the singer, describing his voice as having "transcendental beauty". Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Sting and Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
are among his fans. 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.
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 Jägermeister
Jägermeister
Jägermeister is a German 70-proof digestif made with 56 different herbs and spices. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :...
AIR (Australian Independent Record Labels Association ) Awards held at Melbourne's Corner Hotel
Corner Hotel, Richmond
The Corner Hotel in Richmond, Victoria is one of Melbourne's most popular and respected medium-sized rock venues. In 2005 it celebrated its 10th anniversary with the current owners , however it has been a pub since the 19th century and a live music venue since the 1940s.-History:In 1871 David and...
.
In January 2009, his song, "Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind)", was featured on the British TV Show, Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
.
On New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
2008, Yunupingu performed on Sydney New Year's Eve 2008–09
Sydney New Year's Eve 2008–09
Sydney New Year's Eve 2008–09 was the 14th Sydney New Year's Eve held at Sydney Harbour on the evening of 31 December 2008 and in the early hours of 1 January 2009. It was the final year in a three-year deal that Network Ten would broadcast the event and was co-hosted by Kim Watkins and...
with his song "Bäpa". He is the 2009 Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
recipient of Australian of the Year
Australian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
and he performed "Bäpa" at the ceremony.
In 2009 a portrait of Gurrumul by Guy Maestri won Australia's major art prize, The Archibald Prize
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919...
.
External links
- Official website
- Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – MySpace page
- "An Intimate Evening Performance" video of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu from Australian public broadcaster ABC.
- Video of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu performing at YouTube
- National Indigenous Times - Issue 151 Yunupingu's voice creates waves throughout the world
- skinnyfishmusic.com.au Skinny Fish Music - Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu