Dr G Yunupingu
1970 – 2017
It is almost impossible to fathom that 10 years ago, the world did not yet know Dr G Yunupingu.
Before the release of his debut album he was known by fans of Yothu Yindi and dedicated followers might have been aware of his work with Saltwater Band. But it wasn’t until 2008 that music lovers beyond Galiwin’ku on Elcho Island, beyond Darwin and the Northern Territory were awakened to the music of this gentle soul.
Blind since birth, Dr G was born on Elcho Island in Arnhem Land in 1970. He taught himself to play guitar, playing the instrument upside down, and he sang with a voice like we had never heard before.
Dr G mastered other instruments including piano, guitar, electronic keyboard and drums. With Saltwater Band, he helped sell more than 10,000 records, playing a unique brand of Yolngu reggae and rock.
“I was always in awe of his talent and could never understand that while he was in Saltwater Band no-one really took much notice of him, as he sat quietly playing his guitar,” says good friend Mark Grose, Managing Director of Dr G’s record label Skinnyfish Music.
In 2008 Dr G released a self-titled album that was a revelation to many, winning two ARIAs and selling more than 500,000 copies.
The raw power of his voice, singing in a language most listeners couldn’t understand, seemed to extend a generous bridge between black and white, urging on many white Australians to comprehend the immense culture he was a part of.
“It is difficult to explain what the world sees in his music, but for me it is a connection to the land,” says Grose.
"It is an expression of pure beauty that is often lost in Australian artistic expression. Non-Indigenous songwriters often paint a picture of a harsh landscape from an almost alien world. In G’s music you have soaring beauty and power.
“His music presents a picture of beauty and of complexity that non- Indigenous Australians have now had an opportunity to experience. There is a deep connection between G’s music and the heart of the Australian landscape that resonates not just locally but internationally.”
Top End audiences had many opportunities to see Dr G perform; he played solo at the Darwin Festival and the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs), but also at countless community concerts in Barunga, Merrepen and Elcho Island.
His second studio album Rrakala reached number three on the ARIA charts in 2011. He is the most awarded NIMA artist, winning a total of five NIMA Artist of the Year awards.
With his fame extending beyond Australian shores, Dr G toured to the UK for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, played with Sting and won yet more ARIAs – although they might have had more worth on Elcho island, than in a trophy cabinet. Mark Grose recalls hearing that the statuettes were very handy for chiselling oysters off the rocks at Galiwin’ku.
It’s heartbreaking to contemplate that Dr G's career as a solo artist lasted a little less than a decade, and his departure has left a great void in the hearts of those who knew him, and great sadness for those who loved his music.
For Grose, who got to know the man more personally than most, it’s Dr G’s “gentle spirit and his sense of humour and fun” that he will miss the most.
“He was always one to enjoy a practical joke, especially when he was able to catch you out unexpectedly. His legacy will live on through his music and through the G Yunupingu Foundation, which was set up to foster positive outcomes through the arts for young people in remote communities. I hope his greatest legacy will be his ability to open up to the world the great beauty of his traditional culture, the culture of the Yolngu people.”
Dr G passed away in Royal Darwin Hospital in July at age 46 after a long battle with illness.
A memorial service for Dr G will be held on Tue 19 Sep | 11.30am | Darwin Convention Centre
