Djarimirri

Last updated

Djarimirri
Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow).jpg
Studio album by
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Released13 April 2018
Genre World, Aboriginal, classical crossover
Length70:45
Label Skinnyfish Music
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu chronology
The Gospel Album
(2015)		Djarimirri
(2018)		 The Gurrumul Story
(2021)

Djarimirri (subtitled Child of the Rainbow) is the first posthumous album and fourth studio album from Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. The album was completed just weeks before his death in July 2017 and presents traditional songs and harmonised chants from his traditional Yolngu life with orchestral arrangements. [1] The album was released on 13 April 2018 and debuted at number one on the ARIA Charts, becoming Yunupingu's first number-one album. It is also the first time an Australian indigenous language album has peaked at number one, and he is only the second Aboriginal artist to have a number-one album, following Jessica Mauboy's The Secret Daughter: Songs from the Original TV Series in October 2016. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Skinnyfish Music producer Michael Hohnen said, "It's such an unlikely record to go number one. No beats, no programming, no pop formulas. It's just kind of like the opposite of what you would expect but it's an incredibly honest record and something that we've spent so long making and been really passionate about," [2]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2018, Djarimirri was nominated for seven awards, winning four: Best Male Artist, Best Independent Release, Best World Music Album and Best Cover Art. [5]

At the National Indigenous Music Awards of 2018, Djarimirri won Album of the Year and the title track won Song of the Year. [6]

At the 2019 Australian Independent Awards, Djarimirri won Best Independent Album or EP. [7]

Background and release

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is the highest-selling Indigenous musician of all time, having released three top-five albums since 2008. Long-time musical collaborator and friend Michael Hohnen said: "Last year, we sat and listened to these recordings over and over again, from beginning to end and piece by piece, pulling them apart and putting them back together until all elements shone. We had finished the incredible process, preparing to release it and then we lost him." He added: "He was immensely proud of what we achieved on this album and it is an emotional experience for all of us to present this final enormous chapter in his story with this musical statement." [8]

Reception

Zoë Radas from JB Hi-Fi's Stack Magazine described the album as "totally spellbinding", saying "Gurrumul's voice – renowned for its clarity and depth – soars solo and in dual harmonies alongside orchestral accompaniments (primarily deep strings, timpani, brass and mallet percussion) which mimic the way a didgeridoo's circular inflections comb through its drone of sound. The resulting rhythms, complex and conflicting, are always in orbit around the command of Gurrumul's voice." [9]

Bruce Elder from The Sydney Morning Herald said the album is "a unique and hugely significant contribution to Australian music." [10]

Guido Farnell from The Music AU gave the album 4.5 out of 5 said it "feels instantly classic and destined to become an iconic Aussie album", adding, "Such a fully formed and joyous album released posthumously makes for truly bittersweet listening". [11]

Paul Barr from Readings called the album a "remarkable achievement" and described it as "A perfect fusion of traditional and modern, Gurrumul's unique voice evokes a contemplative mood in the listener and connects to Yolngu culture. The brilliant rhythmic arrangements are hypnotic and heighten the effect." [12]

Track listing

  1. "Waak (Crow)" – 5:08
  2. "Galiku (Flag)" – 5:01
  3. "Ngarrpiya (Octopus)" – 6:09
  4. "Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)" – 5:08
  5. "Djolin (Musical Instrument)" – 5:56
  6. "Marrayarr (Flag)" – 7:42
  7. "Gapu (Freshwater)" – 5:21
  8. "Djilawurr (Scrubfowl)" – 5:04
  9. "Baru (Saltwater Crocodile)" – 5:50
  10. "Gopuru (Tuna Swimming)" – 6:34
  11. "Djapana (Sunset)" – 5:08
  12. "Wulminda (Dark Clouds)" – 7:56

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2018)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [13] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)Position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [14] 78

Release history

List of release dates, showing formats, label, catalogue and reference
RegionDateFormat(s)LabelCatalogueRef.
Australia13 April 2018CD, digital download, streaming Skinnyfish MusicSFGU180413 [1] [15]
6 July 2018 Vinyl SFGU180614 [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yothu Yindi</span> Australian musical group

Yothu Yindi are an Australian musical group with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members, formed in 1986 as a merger of two bands formed in 1985 – a white rock group called the Swamp Jockeys, and an unnamed Aboriginal folk group consisting of Mandawuy Yunupingu, Witiyana Marika, and Milkayngu Mununggur. The Aboriginal members came from Yolngu homelands near Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula in Northern Territory's Arnhem Land. Founding members included Stuart Kellaway on bass guitar, Cal Williams on lead guitar, Andrew Belletty on drums, Witiyana Marika on manikay, bilma and dance, Milkayngu Mununggurr on yidaki, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu on keyboards, guitar, and percussion, past lead singer Mandawuy Yunupingu and present Yirrnga Yunupingu on vocals and guitar.

<i>Tribal Voice</i> 1991 studio album by Yothu Yindi

Tribal Voice is the second studio album by Yothu Yindi, released in September 1991 on the Mushroom Records label. The album peaked at number 4 on the ARIA Charts and was certified 2× Platinum.

<i>Freedom</i> (Yothu Yindi album) 1993 studio album by Yothu Yindi

Freedom is the third studio album by Australian band, Yothu Yindi released in 1993. The album peaked at number 31 on the ARIA charts.

<i>Birrkuta – Wild Honey</i> 1996 studio album by Yothu Yindi

Birrkuta – Wild Honey is the fourth studio album by Australian band, Yothu Yindi. It was released in November 1996 via Mushroom Records. It was co-produced by Lamar Lowder and Andrew Farriss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandawuy Yunupingu</span> Australian musician (1956–2013)

Mandawuy Djarrtjuntjun Yunupingu, formerly Tom Djambayang Bakamana Yunupingu, and also known as Dr Yunupingu, was a teacher and musician, and frontman of the Aboriginal rock group Yothu Yindi from 1986. He was an Aboriginal Australian man of the Yolŋu people, with a skin name of Gudjuk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu</span> Indigenous Australian musician

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, commonly known as Gurrumul and also referred to since his death as Dr G. Yunupingu, was a Yolŋu Aboriginal Australian musician. A multi-instrumentalist, he played drums, keyboards, guitar 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 Gaalpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, a dialect related to Gumatj, and in English. He began his career as a member of Yothu Yindi and later Saltwater Band, and his solo career brought him wider acclaim He was the most commercially successful Aboriginal Australian musician at the time of his death. As of 2020, it is estimated that Yunupingu has sold half a million records globally.

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 Yolngu languages. Their songs are a mixture of traditional songs and reggae/ska influenced pop. One member of the band, the late Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, is a close relative of Mandawuy Yunupingu of Yothu Yindi and was a past member of Yothu Yindi.

The 22nd annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards took place on 19 October 2008. The nominees for all categories were announced on 10 September, while the winners of the Artisan Awards were announced on the same day.

<i>Gurrumul</i> (album) 2008 studio album by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

Gurrumul is the debut solo album for Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. It is performed in a mixture of both Yolngu and English. The album has received praise for connecting on a deeply emotional level, as it tells the story of a persecuted people group as well as the singer's own suffering with both racial persecution and his visual impairment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty (song)</span> 1991 single by Yothu Yindi

"Treaty" is a protest song by Australian musical group Yothu Yindi, which is made up of Aboriginal and balanda (non-Aboriginal) members. Released in June 1991, "Treaty" was the first song by a predominantly Aboriginal band to chart in Australia and was the first song partly in any Aboriginal Australian language to gain extensive international recognition, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play singles charts. The song contains lyrics in Gumatj, one of the Yolngu Matha dialects and a language of the Yolngu people of Arnhem Land in northern Australia.

"Bayini" is 'spiritual love song' performed in Yolngu Matha, an indigenous language of Northern Australia. It is track three on Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's album, Rrakala, which was released by Skinny Fish Music on 15 April 2011.

<i>Rrakala</i> 2011 studio album by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

Rrakala is the second album from Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. It is performed in Yolngu. Gurrumul plays piano, drums, nylon-string acoustic guitar, electric and acoustic guitars.

The ARIA Music Award for Best World Music Album, is an award presented within the Fine Arts Awards at the annual ARIA Music Awards. It was inaugurated in 1995 as Best Folk/World/Traditional Release. The ARIA Awards recognise "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", and have been given by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) since 1987.

<i>The Gospel Album</i> 2015 studio album by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

The Gospel Album is the third studio album from Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. It is performed in a mixture of both Yolngu and English. The album was announced in May and is described as 'a uniquely Indigenous approach to gospel songs with an expanded sound that combines new hymns, and reimagined gospel songs' The album was released on 31 July 2015 and reached number three on the ARIA charts in August 2015.

<i>Reclaim Australia</i> (album) 2016 studio album by A.B. Original

Reclaim Australia is the debut studio album from Australian hip hop duo A.B. Original, released on 28 November 2016 through Golden Era Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker Boy</span> Indigenous Australian rapper, dancer, artist, and actor (born 1996)

Danzal James Baker, known professionally as Baker Boy, is a Yolngu rapper, dancer, artist, and actor. Baker Boy is known for performing original hip-hop songs incorporating both English and Yolŋu Matha and is one of the most prominent Aboriginal Australian rappers.

<i>Gurrumul</i> (film) 2018 Australian film

Gurrumul is a 2018 Australian documentary film about the life of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. the film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2018 to positive reviews. The film was released in Australia on 26 April 2018.

Yirrmal Marika, known mononymously as Yirrmal, is an Indigenous Australian vocalist. A Yolngu man, his music features traditional sounds and elements of Yolŋu music.

<i>The Gurrumul Story</i> 2021 compilation album by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

The Gurrumul Story is the first compilation album from Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. The album was announced on 6 August 2021 and was released on 10 September 2021 on digital platforms, CD, deluxe CD+DVD and vinyl. The deluxe edition features a DVD including a 25-minute documentary covering Yunupingu's life and rise to stardom.

References

  1. 1 2 "Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow)". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Gurrumul Yunupingu album is first in Indigenous language to top Australian charts". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Gurrumul's posthumous album first to top charts in Indigenous language". Sydney Morning Herald. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Australian Charts: Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu Debuts At No 1". noise11. 21 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  5. ↑ Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) (28 November 2018). "And the ARIA Award Goes To..." Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  6. ↑ "2018 NATIONAL INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARD WINNERS". National Indigenous Music Awards. NIMA. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "Barnett and Gurrumul". noise11. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  8. ↑ "Gurrumul's Final Masterpiece 'Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)' To Be Unveiled This April". SkinnyFish Music. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  9. ↑ "Gurrumul: Child of the Rainbow". Stack. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "Gurrumul's final gift: Australia's most original recording?". The Sydney Morning Herald . 12 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  11. ↑ "Gurrumul Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow)". The Music AU. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  12. ↑ "Djarimirri by Gurrumul". Readings. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  13. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Gurrumul – Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  14. ↑ "ARIA End of Year Albums 2018". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  15. ↑ "Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)". iTunes Store (AU). Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  16. ↑ "Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow) (Vinyl)". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.