The popular ABC show Q and A was held in Darwin last Monday evening. Our family was otherwise engaged and did not attend, so I am reliant on the media [ but is that wise ?- see post below].
It seems the show has caused a flurry of score and counter score among many.
To many, Darwin - and by inference, the whole of the NT -is seen a city of yobbo stereotypes, cultural cretins and many worse derogatory terms. It might be laid back, but it sure is not uncultured, uncivilised, nor full of yobbos. We, as a population might enjoy a drink [ it is hot you know], enjoy boating or fishing and water sports [ it is hot you know], and dress down rather than up, day to day [ it is hot you know] but we also are active, culturally aware, and articulate.
Our viewpoint is driven by location and surrounds - with strong links to Asia as well as awareness, concern and tolerance of the local indigenous population. Sometimes we are unable to influence views on these topics, views often held by those with less real knowledge about the issues.
One local ABC reporter got fed up with the piffle being bandied around after the show, and has written an op ed piece for the ABC web site. There are a lot of comments, too!
She is a resident - albeit a relatively newcomer, but the spirit of the piece does hold true.
We do loathe being taken as idiots..........we are not.
While it is the season of the falling mango, long reputed to be the most troppo time of the year, and a highpoint of undesirable behaviour, locals just get on with it, tolerating the weather.........knowing that rain is coming. Elsewhere around the monsooon tropics, this pre wet season time is often the period of holidays......a time when work is less, think Songkran in Thailand in April for example, equivalent to our October/November time. But northern Australia is endowed with an inappropriate calendar schedule, imposed by temperate Australia.
Like anywhere else we have citizen behavioural problems, but we are not unaware of those.
The climate is tough on materials and people and the survivors and locals are coloured by that. Not like the soft latte set of southerners, politicians included, esconsed in their ivy towers.
Even Gurrumul, that great NT musician, is probably better known elsewhere than in Australia.
For more, read it here - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-20/kerrigan-qanda-in-the-nt/3580944
We do not really like being fed drivel by the latte set.
Showing posts with label Gurrumul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gurrumul. Show all posts
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Thursday, 23 October 2008
Gurrumul Gets a Gong [or several]
I have blogged about the extraordinary music album released earlier this year by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, and sung almost entirely in language ---his language from Arnhem land.
He and the album won several gongs at the Deadly's - the indigenous music awards last week.
But the following weekend, some more seriously upmarket awards - two ARIA awards. These are the most prestigous Australian music awards - equivalent to an American Grammy.
The album is magic.
Gurrumul won the ARIA for Best Independent Album Sunday night 20 October 2008, at the 2008 ARIA Awards. This is his second solo ARIA now, after having won one at the ARIA Fine Arts Awards for Best World Music Album.
Gurrumul also performed, the popular song "Bapa", at the ARIA Awards night.
Click here to view Gurrumul performing at the ARIA Awards.
30 September 2008
2008 ARIA Fine Arts Awards
The album, "Gurrumul" won the ARIA for Best World Music Album at last nights ARIA Fine Arts Awards. The awards were held at the City Recital Hall, Angel Place in Sydney. They acknowledge the achievements made within the Australian Music Industry across four genres, Classical, Jazz, World Music and Soundtrack/Cast/Show.
This is Gurrumul's first ARIA Award and he's extremely excited about it. Gurrumul, along with his band (Michael Hohnen, Francis Diatschenko and Erkki Velheim) were in Sydney to accept the award, before they fly out to perform at China's National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing as part of their inaugural 2008 World Folk Song Festival.
[photo x www.news.com.au]
Friday, 29 February 2008
The Night of a Songbird
We were not going, but then I won two tickets to hear the debut concert. What a night.
Yothu Yindi are world renowned for their music, and their performance at the Sydney Olympics. This young man was part of that, and now has his own band - Saltwater Band, based at Galiwink'u on Elcho Island. But this was not THEIR type of music. This was a solo effort by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu , who is a close relative of Mandawuy Yunupingu of Yothu Yindi.
This music is one of the most hauntingly beautiful, incredibly melodic, evocative and just VERY good sets of music to hit the airwaves in a long time. Reminds me a little of the style of Norah Jones and the impact she made with a very different approach to music.
Blind from birth, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is a powerhouse of musical creativity. Geoffrey, or Gudjuk as he is also called, is from the Gumatj nation, his mother from the Galpu nation both First Nations peoples from North East Arnhemland.
A former member of Yothu Yindi, this solo excursion highlights his amazing talent as a singer/songwriter/musician, and his beautiful voice singing the songs of his Gumatj country will never leave you.
His solo performances are a rare treat and should not be missed. Geoffrey's own band the Saltwater Band all hail from Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island, NE Arnhem Land are a much loved and most popularly noted Indigenous band, partly because of Gurrumul's influence and guidance. Their music is not this music.
With the release of this his first solo album, Geoffrey highlights the tremendous talent he has to offer Indigenous music. Skinny Fish music who have been involved with this new CD have said they are excited and proud to be associated with this magical project. It is magical.
He sang of the land and his country with colour and vision, all from the mind. He described the jungle fowl and its antics with great clarity, and these animals are regular visitors to Darwin suburbia, so their antics are well known. He opened his heart and conveyed the love of the land.
Yes, most of the songs are in language - his language. A screen was used to provide the words and a translation, but the soul of the music did not need it.
Songs, language and the guitar and double bass said enough. He also played one song accompanying himself on the Steinway piano.
And guitar.......it was ironic that John Williams and John Etheridge were also playing in the main auditorium of the Entertainment Centre, just metres away, two world class classic guitarists. Gurrumul plays the guitar too........left handed and upside down, eg a normally strung right hand guitar, played left handed. Who could learn from who??
Listen to the tracks on my space, and if you get a chance to see him - GO! And remember, he is blind......blind from birth!
http://www.myspace.com/gurrumul
He is a new star.......listen to the three tracks free on his myspace site!
Yothu Yindi are world renowned for their music, and their performance at the Sydney Olympics. This young man was part of that, and now has his own band - Saltwater Band, based at Galiwink'u on Elcho Island. But this was not THEIR type of music. This was a solo effort by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu , who is a close relative of Mandawuy Yunupingu of Yothu Yindi.
This music is one of the most hauntingly beautiful, incredibly melodic, evocative and just VERY good sets of music to hit the airwaves in a long time. Reminds me a little of the style of Norah Jones and the impact she made with a very different approach to music.
Blind from birth, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is a powerhouse of musical creativity. Geoffrey, or Gudjuk as he is also called, is from the Gumatj nation, his mother from the Galpu nation both First Nations peoples from North East Arnhemland.
A former member of Yothu Yindi, this solo excursion highlights his amazing talent as a singer/songwriter/musician, and his beautiful voice singing the songs of his Gumatj country will never leave you.
His solo performances are a rare treat and should not be missed. Geoffrey's own band the Saltwater Band all hail from Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island, NE Arnhem Land are a much loved and most popularly noted Indigenous band, partly because of Gurrumul's influence and guidance. Their music is not this music.
With the release of this his first solo album, Geoffrey highlights the tremendous talent he has to offer Indigenous music. Skinny Fish music who have been involved with this new CD have said they are excited and proud to be associated with this magical project. It is magical.
He sang of the land and his country with colour and vision, all from the mind. He described the jungle fowl and its antics with great clarity, and these animals are regular visitors to Darwin suburbia, so their antics are well known. He opened his heart and conveyed the love of the land.
Yes, most of the songs are in language - his language. A screen was used to provide the words and a translation, but the soul of the music did not need it.
Songs, language and the guitar and double bass said enough. He also played one song accompanying himself on the Steinway piano.
And guitar.......it was ironic that John Williams and John Etheridge were also playing in the main auditorium of the Entertainment Centre, just metres away, two world class classic guitarists. Gurrumul plays the guitar too........left handed and upside down, eg a normally strung right hand guitar, played left handed. Who could learn from who??
Listen to the tracks on my space, and if you get a chance to see him - GO! And remember, he is blind......blind from birth!
http://www.myspace.com/gurrumul
He is a new star.......listen to the three tracks free on his myspace site!
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