Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | |
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Gurrumul in November 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 22 January 1971 Elcho Island, Northern Territory, Australia |
| Died | 25 July 2017 (aged 46) Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia |
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| Years active | 1986–2017 |
| Labels | Skinnyfish Music |
| Formerly of | |
| Website | www |
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (22 January 1971 – 25 July 2017), 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 (a right-hand-strung guitar played left-handed) and didgeridoo, but is best known for the clarity of his singing voice. He sang stories of his land both in Yolŋu languages, such as Gaalpu, Gumatj, or Djambarrpuynu (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.