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Journalism of Courage
Only a handful of music buffs in the Capital have heard of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu,even fewer have heard him. Gurrumul,an aboriginal singer-songwriter from Australia,is one of the best-selling artistes in the international music market this despite singing in the Yolngu language that is spoken by only 2,000 people in the world. On Tuesday evening at Purana Qila,Gurrumul made his India debut as part of a ceremony to kick-start the Oz Fest,the festival of Australian culture in India.
As the Australian lighting design firm,AGB Events,bathed the monument behind the stage with spectacular artwork,Gurrumul arrived clasping his accompanist Michael Hohnens arm for support. Blind from birth,Gurrumul also lets Hohnen talk on his behalf to audiences and the media. The songs that he presents are important for our family,our tribes,our dignity. It is our way of identifying ourselves to the world, announced Hohnen. Gurrumul,his voice rich and raw,sang of his father,his adopted sister,the indigenous fowl of his island,and crocodiles,among other things.
It was when he tackled an English song that went I was born blind/ I dont know why/ God knows why that the heft of his traditional music was replaced by pop flavour. As he strode away after his set,Gurrumul clearly had more fans in Delhi.
Sitarist Anoushka Shankar,who performed next,had the tough task of filling the stage after Gurrumul. She began with an evening raga,Shailangi that had been composed by her father,sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar,before presenting Hindustani and Carnatic pieces. All the while,the artwork in coloured light continued to light up the stage backdrop,prompting her to say that she wished she could sit backward to enjoy the artistry.
The only disappointment of the evening was celebrated didgeridoo player Mark Atkins who silenced the crowd with his impressive,drone-like music. So,why the disappointment? His set,of five minutes only,was over and he had left the stage before one could say didgeri…
