Who was Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu?
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was a Yolngu singer and multi-instrumentalist from Galiwinku on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory. Blind from birth, he sang mostly in Yolngu languages and became internationally acclaimed.
Born in 1971, Gurrumul taught himself to play guitar, keyboard and drums as a child. He played left-handed guitar strung for a right-handed player, holding it upside down.
He was a member of Yothu Yindi in the 1980s and 1990s and later the Saltwater Band. His 2008 solo album, Gurrumul, became a surprise hit, selling hundreds of thousands of copies.
Global acclaim
His pure voice, singing songs in Gälpu, Gumatj and Djambarrpuyngu, drew comparisons to the world's great singers. He performed for Queen Elizabeth II and at major venues worldwide.
Gurrumul won several ARIA Awards and was known for his shyness, rarely giving interviews and letting his music speak for him. He died in 2017 at the age of 46, after years of health problems.
A documentary, Gurrumul, released in 2018, explored his life, music and connection to family and country, and featured footage from Elcho Island. His recordings are released through Skinnyfish Music, the label he worked with throughout his solo career.
Did You Know?
His final album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow), became the first album in an Aboriginal language to top the Australian charts.