Dimensions
240 x 283 x 36mm
GURRUMUL tells the uplifting story of Indigenous singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's journey to the international stage as the transporting voice of his age-old Yolngu culture. Born blind on Elcho Island, Gurrumul showed early promise of a musical gift that would one day leave audiences all over the world spellbound. Robert Hillman follows Gurrumul from concert hall to recording studio and into the Yolngu heartland to reveal the quiet pride and humility that underpin his success.
Through interviews with family and friends, Gurrumul emerges as a man of his people, shaped by the beliefs, the rites and ceremonies of a richly engaging culture. We see Gurrumul as a child on the beach of his island home beating out rhythms on jam tins; learning his craft with breakthrough rock band, Yothu Yindi; relishing room service at the Waldorf Astoria; praising the acoustics of Carnegie Hall; lifting his voice on the stage at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert. We follow him through the medical crisis that almost killed him at the peak of his solo career, and witness the love and concern of his family as he is nursed back to health.
Accompanying the stories are over 150 images and a 15-track CD of unreleased mixes. In words, pictures and song, GURRUMUL provides unforgettable insights into the life and music of one of Australia's most original performers.
