His Life and Music | ||||
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Live album by Gurrumul and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra | ||||
Released | 6 December 2013 | |||
Recorded | 28/29 May 2013 | |||
Genre | World Music, Aboriginal | |||
Label | Skinnyfish Music ABC Music | |||
Gurrumul albums chronology | ||||
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His Life and Music is a live album by Gurrumul and The Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The album was recorded live at the Sydney Opera House for Vivid Festival in May 2013, [1] and released through ABC Music.
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, also referred to since his death as Dr G Yunupingu, was an Indigenous 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. Although his solo career brought him wider acclaim, he was also formerly a member of Yothu Yindi, and later Saltwater Band. He was the most commercially successful Aboriginal Australian musician at the time of his death.
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. The orchestra's current chief conductor is David Robertson.
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre at Sydney Harbour in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the 20th century's most famous and distinctive buildings.
The recording features Gurrumul, in a world-first collaboration with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, performing a collection of songs from his award winning albums. Also included on the album are introductions from Gurrumul's family that provide a rare insight into the people, the country and the stories behind some of his most popular songs. [2]
The album was released on 6 December 2013 [3] and peaked at #48 on the ARIA album's chart. [4]
Tyler McLoughlan from The Music gave the album 4 1/2 stars out of 5, saying; "Gurrumul has a habit of evoking an array of overwhelming emotions in a live setting that don't even exist in the toolbox of most performers" and "[it] is a thrilling piece of the live Gurrumul experience to take home". [5]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer/s | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Wiyathul" | Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | Gurrumul | 6:35 |
2. | "Welcome and Introduction" | Michael Hohnen | 1:21 | |
3. | "Bapa" | Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | Gurrumul & Sydney Symphony Orchestra | 2:48 |
4. | "Introduction to Djarimirri" | Susan Dhangal Gurruwiwi | 0:44 | |
5. | "Djarimirri" | Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | Gurrumul & Sydney Symphony Orchestra | 3:45 |
6. | "Introduction to Djilawurr" | Johnny Gurrumgurrum Burrawanga | 1:30 | |
7. | "Djilawurr" | Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | Gurrumul & Sydney Symphony Orchestra | 4:11 |
8. | "Introduction to Marwurrumburr" | Susan Dhangal Gurruwiwi | 1:15 | |
9. | "Marwurrumburr" | Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | Gurrumul & Sydney Symphony Orchestra | 3:13 |
10. | "Introduction to Baru" | Michael Hohnen | 2:02 | |
11. | "Baru" | Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | Gurrumul & Sydney Symphony Orchestra | 4:40 |
12. | "Introduction to Wukan" | Susan Dhangal Gurruwiwi | 1:55 | |
13. | "Wukan" | Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | Gurrumul & Sydney Symphony Orchestra | 4:34 |
14. | "Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind)" | Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | Gurrumul & Sydney Symphony Orchestra | 6:35 |
15. | "Gathu Mawula" | Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | Gurrumul & Sydney Symphony Orchestra | 4:47 |
Australian Independent Record Labels Association Awards [6]
The Australian Independent Record Labels Association, formerly Association of Independent Record Labels, is a non-profit trade association which supports the growth and development of Australia's independent recording industry independent recording industry. It represents Australian-owned record labels and independent artists based in Australia who function without the backing of major record labels.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | "His Life and Music" | Best Independent Classical Album | Won |
Australian Recording Industry Association Awards [7]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | "His Life and Music" | Best Male Artist | Nominated |
Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album | Won |
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
ARIA Albums Chart | 48 [8] |
AIR Independent Albums Chart | 3 [9] |
Yothu Yindi were an Australian musical group with Aboriginal and balanda (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. 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 (Drums), Witiyana Marika on manikay, bilma and dance, Milkayngu Mununggurr on yidaki (didgeridoo), Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu on keyboards, guitar and percussion, and leader Mandawuy Yunupingu on vocals and guitar.
Mandawuy Djarrtjuntjun Yunupingu, , was an Aboriginal Australian musician and educator. From 1986, he was the front man of the Aboriginal rock group Yothu Yindi as a singer-songwriter and guitarist. In 1989, he became assistant principal of the Yirrkala Community School – his former school – and was principal for the following two years. He helped establish the Yolngu Action Group and introduced the Both Ways system, which recognised traditional Aboriginal teaching alongside Western methods. Yothu Yindi released six albums, Homeland Movement, Tribal Voice, Freedom, Birrkuta - Wild Honey, One Blood, Garma. The group's top 20 ARIA Singles Chart appearances were "Treaty" (1991) and "Djäpana " (1992). He was appointed Australian of the Year for 1992 by the National Australia Day Council. In April 1998 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Queensland University of Technology. In December 2012, Yothu Yindi were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. In 2007, he was diagnosed with advanced renal failure and died in 2013, aged 56.
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