#geoffrey gurrumul yunupingu

[mybeingthere]

NYAPANYAPA YUNUPINGU (c.1945-2021)

Gumatj Clan, Yirrkala, Australia

Nyapanyapa Yunupingu lived and worked in Yirrkala, near Nhulunbuy in north-east Arnhem Land, and was a Yolngu woman with a rich artistic genealogy, including musicians Mandawuy Yunupingu of Yothu Yindi and Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, and the Gumatj patriarch and artist Munggurrawuy Yunupingu. Yunupingu’s art practice remains independent of bark painting traditions of the Yirrkala region/ Yolngu people of Arnhem Land. Yunupingu’s work is valued for the spontaneity and texture of her draughtsmanship. Her figurative and abstract works unleash a unique set of personal narratives revolving around her own experiences. She also employed unconventional materials such as texta-pen on clear acetate sheet, recycled paper and board during the dry season when the supply of bark runs low. While the impression is recognisably Yunupingu, the finish and texture create a fascinating reconfiguration of her distinct visual language.

[musi3102]

‘Treaty’ by Yothu Yindi

‘Treaty’ released by Mushroom (1991), written by Mandawuy Yunupingu, Paul Kelly, Witiyana Marika, Stuart Kellaway, Cal Williams, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Milkayngu Mununggurr and Peter Garrett.

(How Much Do You Know about Yothu Yindi?, 2021)

The origins of Yothu Yindi go back to the 1970s when three brothers, Djawa, Balupalu and Bakamana (later known as Mandawuy Yunupingu), were playing covers of western music at the Yolngu community of Yirrkala, a former missionary settlement.

(Bloggerme, n.d.)

At this time, the group was known as the ‘Diamond Dogs’, referencing David Bowie’s album by the same name and symbolising the Yunupingu brothers’ Gumatj clan (Garrick, 2021, pp. 8). By 1984, the Yunupingu brothers had a new name, ‘Wawa Mala’ (Group of Brothers Band). They were influenced by Graeme Kelly a ‘Balanda’ (non-Aboriginal) from Yirrkala School and who was interested in fusing indigenous and non-indigenous music, eventually a major component of Yothu Yindi’s music. The lead singer, Mandawuy Yunupingu, had a passion for teaching, music and lyric writing:

(ABC News, 2015)

‘…I wanted to become a teacher – in my spare time, I used to write lyrics that meant something to me.’ (ABC, 2022). He went on to be the first Aboriginal principal of a school and was later awarded an honorary doctorate.

By the mid-1980s, Mandawuy was playing with two nephews, Witiyana Marika on vocals, bilma and dance and Milkayngu Mununggurr on didgeridoo. They joined with ‘The Swamp Jockeys’, whose members included Stuart Kellaway on bass guitar, Cal Williams on lead guitar and Andrew Belletty on drums to form ‘Yothu Yindi’, also adding Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu on keyboard, guitar and percussion. ‘Yothu Yindi’ means ‘child and mother’. It is a metaphor for a relationship where both sides care for each other, ‘And that’s basically the principles that govern our lives…’ (Garrick, 2021, pp. 30). This was the first band in Australia’s history with first nation and non-first nation musicians collaborating.

In the 1960s, a bauxite mine was constructed without considering the Yolgnu people’s wishes. This became known as the Gove Land Rights case. The Yolgnu people took Nabalco Corporation to the Northern Territory Supreme Court. They were, however, unsuccessful. This was one of the earliest cases of Indigenous land rights in Australia and was the spark to ignite activism. Mandawuy comes from a family of activists, including his brothers Galararwuy, Gatjil and his father Munggurrawuy Yunupingu.

In 1988, The Barunga Statement of Aboriginal Rights was created by Indigenous leaders and presented to Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

(Studies, 2021)

This was during the Barunga Festival, a celebration of Indigenous culture and sport. Hawke accepted the treaty and wanted to commit to negotiating for the Aboriginal people, but this never came to fruition. With the injustice Mandawuy’s people felt, and politicians failing to deliver their promises, the song ‘Treaty’ was born referencing these events.

The song was released in 1991 and was the first to include any indigenous Australian language in the lyrics and won song of the year at the APRA awards. The band draws upon ‘Manikay’; a series of songs passed down by generations of ancestors of Yolngu people (ABC Radio National, 2008). The song is a mixture of Yolgnu music and Balanda, the Balanda rock is provided by electric guitars, keyboard and drumkit. The Yolngu rhythms are created by the yidaki (digeridoo) and bilma (clapsticks). The main vocal is provided by Mandawuy though there is also a chorus of mixed Yolngu and Balanda voices (Tim Finn of Split Enz contributed to this). The form of the song conforms to the Balanda rock structure of verses and choruses with an instrumental ‘break’, and the process of intensity through repetition of short motives (Stubington & Dunbar-Hall, 1994), typical of a djatpangarri. The djatpangarri dance and song form is attributed to a famous Gumatj clan member, Dambidjawa (Metzenrath, 2019).

Translations:

The lyrics are in English and Yolngu. The mixing of indigenous and non-indigenous voices is represented in Yolngu ideology by the word ganma, describing the mixing of fresh water from a river with the salt water of the sea.  

The song was first released on the Tribal Voice album and then as a single. It was released in the same year on CD as ‘The Filthy Lucre Remix’ which de-politicised the song, removing most of the English verses, though retaining the central message of ‘Treaty yeah, treaty yeah, treaty now’. However, it accentuated the Yolngu nature with lyrics from the language and greater prominence of the didgeridoo and bilma (Kerr, 2015). It was this version which became a rallying cry of the Aboriginal reconciliation movement which led to the Native Title Act of 1993.

References

ABC. (2022, July 7). Yothu Yindi was a band with a clear vision right from the start. Double J. https://www.abc.net.au/doublej/music-reads/features/yothu-yindi-feature-1997-triple-j-interview-dr-yunupingu/13963328

ABC News. (2015, August 1). Gumatj leader Galarrwuy Yunupingu awarded honorary doctorate at Garma Festival. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-01/galarrwuy-yunupingu-awarded-honorary-doctorate-at-garma-festival/6665756

ABC Radio National. (2008, July 10). Manikay - Ancestral Songs of Arnhem Land. https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/archived/rhythmdivine/manikay---ancestral-songs-of-arnhem-land/3253540

Bloggerme. (n.d.). |. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://www.bloggerme.com.au/states/east-arnhem

Corn, A. (2010). Land, song, constitution: exploring expressions of ancestral agency, intercultural diplomacy and family legacy in the music of Yothu Yindi with Mandawuy Yunupiŋu. Popular Music, 29(1), 81–102. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0261143009990390

Garrick, M. (2021). Writing in the Sand (pp. 8–30). HarperCollinsPublishers Australia Pty Limited .

How much do you know about Yothu Yindi? (2021, October 28). ABC Darwin. https://www.abc.net.au/darwin/programs/drive/writing-in-the-sand/13607656

Kerr, J. (2015, March 2). Treaty by Yothu Yindi – a Trojan horse in the culture wars. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/03/treaty-by-yothu-yindi-a-trojan-horse-in-the-culture-wars#:~:text=The%20song%20became%20a%20Trojan

Metzenrath, R. (2019, June 13). Traditional song that inspired Yothu Yindi’s “Treaty” repatriated to Yolgnu Peoples. NITV. https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/traditional-song-that-inspired-yothu-yindis-treaty-repatriated-to-yolgnu-peoples/zde7dftih

Stubington, J., & Dunbar-Hall, P. (1994). Yothu yindi’s “treaty”: Ganma in music. Popular Music, 13, 3. http://www.jstor.org/stable/852915

Studies, A. I. of A. and T. S. I. (2020, October 11). “Treaty” by Yothu Yindi. Aiatsis.gov.au. https://aiatsis.gov.au/blog/treaty-yothu-yindi

Studies, A. I. of A. and T. S. I. (2021, September 15). The Barunga Statement. Aiatsis.gov.au. https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/barunga-statement

Wikipedia. (2020, December 9). Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milirrpum_v_Nabalco_Pty_Ltd#:~:text=Milirrpum%20v%20Nabalco%20Pty%20Ltd%2C%20also%20known%20as%20the%20Gove

Wikipedia. (2023, August 4). Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Gurrumul_Yunupingu

Yothu Yindi Foundation. (2023). Yothu Yindi. Yothu Yindi. https://www.yothuyindi.com.au/

[inthemoodforportnawak]

Adam Knott

[oceanusborealis]

Movie Review – Gurrumul

Gurrumul is one of the most moving an important documentaries to come out of Australia in a very long time. If you have the chance to see it I highly recommend it. @ScreenAustralia

TL;DR – This might be one of the most important cultural touchstones of Australian cinema that I have ever seen, a beautifully honest look at the intersections that exist in Australia, and a powerful call to action.

Score – 5 out of 5 stars

Post-Credit Scene – Watch all the credits

Warning– Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers should be advised that the following review contains…

[crazychicke]

Happy #NaidocWeek2019 

[thebullitimes]

Film festival visits Thirroul and Corrimal

Film festival visits Thirroul and Corrimal

To celebrate the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages, a film festival featuring Indigenous voices from around the world will be held at Corrimal and Thirroul libraries next month.

The first week of the festival in July coincides with NAIDOC Week and features Australian Indigenous content, with the second week highlighting movies that tell Indigenous stories from across the…

[noelineb]

Djarimirri

I was carried, by mother *Wititj I am, a Rainbow child m..m I am, a Rainbow child, with a Rainbow carried by Wititj, with a Rainbow Emerged from there, from the waters lilies Gudjuk emerged, from fresh water Garrimala m..m Dhupu I am, a Rainbow child, with a Rainbo..w carried by Wititj, with a Rainbow, m..m a child of the Rainbow in the 1950s my dad looked around towards Muwalaŋgallili, Yanayanayu Wurrumbayu Malpitjiŋuyu (Pt Bradshaw) I am, a Rainbow child, with a Rainbo..w carried by Wititj, with Rainbow I am Maralija Dhar'yuna with my ancestors I am a child conceived and carried by Wititj a rainbow child n..n, with a rainbow m..m, m..m, with a rainbow                                                            *Wititj is the Ancestor Rainbow Python.

[arecordatatime]

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)

I generally don’t listen to World music, just tends to pass me by. Maybe because of that Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s posthumous album “Djarimirri” came as a surprise to me.

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was a Indigenous Australian musician who passed away last year, due to liver and kidney diseases. He is the most commercially successful Aboriginal Australian artist so far and his first Posthumous album, released last month, just came to reinforce that, becoming the only second album of its kind to peak number 1 at the Australian charts.

The album is a presentation of traditional songs and chants from Yolngu but with an extra orchestra to help, and it’s amazing.

From the very start this feels like a different kind of journey, the very first track builds up for something big, and the entire album feels big, the chants, the orchestra and specially Gurrumul’s beautiful voice.

There’s some similarities between this album and orchestral pieces as a whole, movie soundtracks and the such as well, and it’s all ethereal and beautiful, but then Gurrumul starts singing and everything just takes up an entire level.

It’s hard to explain and describe it really. I really just urge everyone to go check this one out, I can guarantee you that you won’t regret it.

[fillielitsa]

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

[thenixkat]

Jara Hamee playlist

I got 5 on Us- Luniz

"You Are Not A Riot (An RSVP From David Siquieros To Andy Warhol)" - The Coup

Purple Jaguar Eye- Sterling K. Brown

Wukun (Trials Remix)-  Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

Take Me Home- A.B. Original  (feat. Gurrumul)

[musica-incognita]

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

[simonfalk28]

Celebrating Indigenous Culture #WATWB August

Celebrating Indigenous Culture #WATWB August

Welcome to We Are the World – WATWB posts for August 2017.  Our generous co-hosts this month are

Eric Lahti,

Inderpreet Kaur Uppal,

Mary Melange,

Lynn Hallbrooks,

and myself, Simon Falk. We are part of a team and encourage you to visit as many posts carrying the ‘We Are The World’ hashtag (#WATWB) as you would like to read.

In my country of Australia our relationship with our Indigenous brothers…

[yifytorrentmovies]

Download The Secret of the Magic Gourd 2007 HD/Full HD/2K/4K

Genres: Biography / Documentary

Celebrated by audiences at home and abroad, indigenous artist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was one of the most important and acclaimed voices to ever come out of Australia. 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. Living a traditional Yolngu life, his breakthrough album 'Gurrumul' brought him to a crossroads as audiences and artists around the world began to embrace his music. GURRUMUL is a portrait of an artist on the brink of global reverence, and the struggles he and those closest to him faced in balancing that which mattered most to him and keeping the show on the road.

[cardest]

Brisbane & Queensland playlist

Do you love a sun burnt country? Then come on up to the Sunshine State, Queensland for a different kind of playlist. It’s a tropical setting. Just watch out you don’t step on a Cane Toad! Play the songs here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1-LhZXL08OuYSXdhQrOjHC6

If there is a song or band I overlooked, give me some feedback. Let me know what songs and I will add them (probably). After all, I did have some help from friends in QLD - Thanks fellas!

BRISBANE & QUEENSLAND

001 The Saints - Brisbane (Security City) 002 Screaming Tribesmen - Ive Got A Feeling   003 The Go-Betweens  -  streets of your town 004 Budd - Chopsumfuckinwood 005  The Wiggles - Brisbane 006 Screamfeeder  - Fingers & Toes 007 Custard - Nice Bird 008 GANGgajang - NOMADSLAND 009 Regurgitator - Fat Cop 010 Blank Realm - Go Easy 011 The Riptides - Sunset Strip 012 Misery - Inverted Prophet 013 PORTAL - Glumurphonel 014 THE SCRAPES - "Oblivions Grip 015 Vomitor - Bleeding The Priest 016 INXS - Disappear 017 CALIGULAS HORSE - Turntail   018 Clever - Homesteady 019 Bee Gees  - Spicks and Specks   020 AC/DC  - Gone Shootin 021 Deadyet? - This Cities Child   022 Dreamkillers - Sarah 023 Gin Club - Brisbane 1933 024 MOP & THE DROPOUTS - Brisbane Blacks 025 John Kennedy - Brisbane 82 026 Dreamtime - Serpents Tongue 027 Little Ugly Girls - Tractor 028 Shifting Sands - Would've Killed Each Other 029 Don Walker - Carless In Isa 030 Redgum -  I Was Only 19 031 John Williamson - Old Man Emu   032 Jimmy Barnes - Working Class Man 033 Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - Djarimirri 034 Pauline Pantsdown - I Dont Like It 035 Evil Eddie - Queensland 036 Midnight Oil - Koala Sprint 037 R.E.M. - Parakeet 038 Liza Schneider - Liza from Mount Isa 039 Wolf Creek Soundtrack - Intro song   040 SIBERIAN HELL SOUNDS - The Breath Of The Beast 041 Jeff Buckley - Kanga-Roo   042 The Go-Betweens  - Cattle and Cane 043 Shatoo - Queensland 044 Slim Dusty - Isa Rodeo 045 Dumb Things - Today Tonight 046 Halfway - Six Hours From Brisbane 047 Matty Cochran - Bundaberg Rum (Had Too Much Of) 048 Go-Betweens - Bye Bye Pride   049  Missy Higgins · Augie March · Paul Kelly - Droving Woman 050 Cold Chisel - Showtime 051 GANGgajang - Sounds of then 052 Def Fx - Psychoactive Summer 053 Bane of Bedlam - Thrashed to Death 054 1927 - Tell Me A Story   055 Astriaal - Glories Of The Nightsky 056 A Matter of Time - Railroad Gin 057 Matt Taylor - Brisbane to Beechworth 058 RAZAR - Task Force 059 The Chats - How Many Do You Do 060 REGURGITATOR - THE SONG FORMERLY KNOWN AS! 061 No Sisters - Always Already 062 The Mountain Goats -  Brisbane Hotel Sutra 063 Tape/Off - Day in Day Out 064 Custard  - Caboolture Speed Lab   065 The Aints!  - Country Song in G 066 The Onyas - Nightrider 067 Multiple Man - New Metal 068 Midnight Oil - Dreamworld 069 Woodboot - Nerd Holocaust 070 Sewers Weight - Night Duty 071 Fear of Falling - Your place 072 The Saints - Simple love 073 Gospel of the Horns - Absolute Power 074 The Beasts of Bourbon - Hard for you 075 Skyhooks - Over The Border   076 Stan Ridgway  - Calling Out To Carol 077 The Go-Betweens  - Was There Anything I Could Do 078 Hobo Magic - The holy riff 079 Devolved - Distored 080 Screaming Tribesmen - Igloo 081 Laceration Mantra  - Infested 082 The Butterfly Effect - In These Hands   083 Razar - Shutdown Countdown 084 The Leftovers - No Complaints 085 SNORLAX - Infernal Devourment 086 Hope Drone - forged by the tide 087 The Bunyip Song - Dot and the Kangaroo 088 CONSUMMATION - Phosphor Libation 089 Screamfeeder - Mouse 090 The Saints -  Know Your Product 091 Good Boy - CRF 092 Pious Faults - Cope 093 Hatchie — Sure 094 MISERY- On Demon Wings 095 Cold Chisel - This Big Old Car 096 The Stranglers - Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus) 097 Violent Soho - Love Is A Heavy Word 098 Fur - Pim Pom Pam 099 Christine Anu  - My Island Home 100 The Saints -  (I'm) Stranded 101 An Horse - This is a Song 102 Sixfthick - Dog-eared Porno Mag 103 The Bennies - Party Machine 104 Pineapples From The Dawn Of Time - Saha 105 Milton Man Gogh - XXXX Bitter Irony 106 Bee Gees - you win again 107 Killengod - Believe in divination 108 Midnight Odyssey - Journey Across the Stars 109 Midnight Oil - Short memory 110 Invocation - Draeconis 111 Malakyte - Warhawk 112 Gentle Ben And His Sensitive Side - Shimmering hand 113 Lynchmada - Green River 114 Asylum - Demon's Call - 115 Christine Anu - Sunshine on a Rainy Day 222 Void Lustre - In Floods & Depths 666 Custard - Short Pop Song

[the-summer-sun-au]

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (22 January 1971 – 25 July 2017) was an Indigenous Australian musician.[1] 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 reviews. He sang stories of his land both in Yolŋu languages such as Gälpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, and in English.[1][2] Although his solo career brought him wider acclaim, he was also formerly a member of Yothu Yindi, and later Saltwater Band.[1] He was the most commercially successful Aboriginal Australian musician at the time of his death.[1]

http://www.ntnews.com.au/entertainment/tributes-pour-in-for-national-treasure-and-northern-territory-musical-icon-dr-g-yunupingu-who-has-died-in-darwin-aged-46/news-story/7a3f391f25d6337b199a499785a56700

[guscumming-blog]

Howes utilises the example of the Cashinahua people of Eastern Peru to theorise that ‘Not only the skin, but all of our organs of perception might be said to possess some knowledge’ (2005, p28). We can deduce that sensory knowledge encompasses all information gathered by our senses, through their exposure to the environment around us. Different perspectives can emerge due to a focus on different senses, the late Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu taught himself to play guitar with no vision. Due to his lack of sight, Yunupingu was able to focus solely on the auditory value of his art, creating mesmerising and ethereal music.