Gurrumul 4-Album ‘Legacy Edition’ On Coloured Vinyl Out Now
A new suite of vinyl reissues celebrating the legacy of the late indigenous Australian songwriter Gurrumul (1971–2017) has been released by Decca and Universal Music.
The LEGACY EDITION series sees Gurrumul’s ARIA-award winning studio albums reissued in four 2-LP coloured vinyl sets. The albums reissued are Gurrumul, Rrakala, The Gospel Album, and Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow).
Two of the albums (Rrakala and The Gospel Album) will be released on vinyl for the first time.
Since the release of his self-titled debut album in 2008 (which won two ARIA awards for Independent Album and World Music Album), Gurrumul’s music has found listeners in Australia and around the world. His angelic tenor voice has connected with Elton John, Quincy Jones, and Sting, and he performed for heads of state HRH The Queen of England and former US President Barack Obama.
Born blind, Dr G. Yunupingu, known as ‘Gurrumul’, grew up as a member of the Gumatj clan on Elcho Island, off the coast of tropical North East Arnhem Land. His fragile but emotive voice transfixed in a way no other artist has done. This unique Aboriginal man sang songs about identity, spirit and connection with the land, its elements and the ancestral beings he is related to. His voice and presence drew emotion, compassion and a feeling of peacefulness and longing with his audiences.
Gurrumul emerged as a unique celebrity, whose music reformed the way people listened to and experienced his Yolngu cultural world through a more familiar Western music style. The debut album ‘Gurrumul’ has sold half a million copies worldwide, reaching Triple Platinum in Australia. His second solo album ‘Rrakala’ released in April 2011 has hit Platinum, and the cover of Rolling Stone magazine declared Gurrumul “Australia’s Most Important Voice” (Rolling Stone, April 2011).
In 2014, Gurrumul performed at an exclusive, intimate gathering for the G20 leaders. Gurrumul also performed for His Holiness Pope John Paul II, HM The Queen of England, US President Barack Obama, Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary of Denmark, in addition to being one of only two Australian performers at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace, confirming this multi-ARIA award-winning musician’s place as an international star, capable of transcending cultural boundaries.
Gurrumul died on 25 July, 2017.
