STACK #163 May 2018

MUSIC NEWS

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and the title track Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow) mines all the beauty of the wind section alongside sunshower glockenspiel and possibly the most exultant vocals you’ve ever heard Gurrumul produce, to speak of the rainbow- coloured light which shines from the rainbow serpent’s scales, and her call to her child. That we will never get to see these tracks performed by Gurrumul with a live orchestra is an enormous shame. But Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow) is such a magnificent achievement that it ensures Geoffrey Yunupingu’s talent and message will remain within the Australian psyche for the rest of time, even though they’re no longer tied to the man's physical presence in the world. to ensure that his legacy will continue to inspire both his people and Australians more broadly. The family thank the media and the Australian public for their support and respect throughout this period. The final funeral ceremony for Gurrumul Yunupingu occurred on Friday November 24, 2017 at Galiwin’ku, Elcho Island. The passing of any Yolngu person is usually accompanied by strict traditional protocols which preclude the use of the deceased’s name. The immediate family of Gurrumul have been clear throughout the grieving process that the contribution he made and continues to make to Australian and Yolngu cultural life should not be forgotten. The family have given permission that following the final funeral ceremony, his name and image may once again be used publicly A NOTE FROM SKINNYFISH MUSIC

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GURRUMUL Born on Elcho Island off the coast of Arnhem Land, Gurrumul (1971 - 2017) was from the Gumatj clan of theYolngu people. His final, posthumous album has arrived just prior to a remarkable new documentary about his life – completed mere weeks before his passing. Words Zoë Radas

T here’s a part in the new documentary Gurrumul where the titular artist and his producer, collaborator and friend Michael Hohnen, are in the recording studio, watching this visibly exhausted string section try to get their heads around a particular section of music. There’s a close-up of one cellist’s strained face as she puffs her cheeks out with effort. Despite all their formal classical training, these musicians haven’t ever played the kinds of rhythms and accents which the

the film attests) a meticulously- arranged project, undertaken with Gurrumul’s Gumatj elders and family. The album is an insight into the life of the artist's people, and a reflection on his position within his community. Every track is a testament to the late icon’s craft, but the ones which stand out in particular are Baru (Saltwater Crocodile) , which uses deep kettle drums, shivering strings and uneasy horns to convey the mystery of Gurrumul’s totem; Ngarrpiya (Octopus) which features otherworldly viola, gong, and Gurrumul’s voice emerging, just like the song’s subject, from “a place deep in the sea”; the duelling, triumphant horns of Galiku (Flag) are the best example of the album’s rhythmic intricacy;

The rhythms, complex and conflicting, are always in orbit around

the command of Gurrumul's voice

Yolngu songlines of Gurrumul’s new album Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow) require. This album has been four years in the making, and was completed less than a month before Gurrumul’s passing in 2017. And it is, without question, totally spellbinding. 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. Hohnen says that the aim was to “[bring] the highest art forms from both western and Yolngu cultures, and [use] the essence of Yolngu living styles as the model for composition and presentation,” and that it was (as

Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow) by Gurrumul is out now via Skinnyfish Music/MGM. The documentary Gurrumul is in cinemas May 25 via Madman.

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MAY 2018

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