Bapa (2008) – Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

Geoffrey Gurrumul wrote and performed some of the most beautiful world music of this millennium so far. Geoffrey was an Australian blind aboriginal singer who played the guitar upside down. After the release of his debut album –  (pictured above) he caught the attention of Elton John and Sting who wanted to perform on stage with him. Many of the songs from this album will appear in this music library project starting today with Bapa. Gurrumul remains one of my favourite Australian albums. The album reached 3x Platinum sales in excess of 210,000. Geoffrey Gurrumul was the most commercially successful Aboriginal Australian musician at the time of his death.

Wikipedia states: Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (22 January 1971 – 25 July 2017), also referred to since his death as Dr G Yunupingu, was an Indigenous Australian musician. A multi-instrumentalist, he played drums, keyboards, guitar and didgeridoo, but it was the clarity of his singing voice that attracted rave reviews. He sang stories of his land both in Yolŋu languages such as Gaalpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, a dialect related to Gumatj, and in English. Although his solo career brought him wider acclaim, he was also formerly a member of Yothu Yindi, and later Saltwater Band.

Today’s song Bapa is a song of loss; a great loss of someone very close most likely his father. This is how we feel when we lose someone so very important in our lives, you can feel the pain, his soul is crying out for one more moment. A truly beautiful song.

Additional information about Geoffrey Gurrumul will appear in subsequent music posts which feature his music. Please enjoy Bapa.

Warwuyu ŋarranha mulkana
ŋaraku bapawu
ŋurununa gunipunharayu
ya..a, bäpa marrkapmirri

ŋathina wilawilayurruna
ŋuruŋuna djarrawalyurruna
liya-wayma Bekulŋura
ya..a bäpa marrkapmirri
m..m m..m m..m

[english translation]
Grief have taken hold of me
for my father
when the sun sets
o..h, beloved father

Crying and crying
when the sun goes down
my mind there at Bekulnura
o..h, beloved father
m..m m..m m..m

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“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand