Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu signed to Decca, new releases coming soon

The late, legendary artist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu will be celebrated with several new releases via a freshly-struck deal with Decca Australia.

Announced today (9th November), Gurrumul is signed to the venerated classical label on the eve of what would have been his 50th birthday (22nd January, 2021).

In the works are limited edition releases on coloured vinyl, a box set of Gurrumul’s complete recordings, collaborations with vocal, electronic and instrumental artists, an orchestral album and more, according to a statement.

Watch Gurrumul and Paul Kelly’s ‘Amazing Grace’: 

The deal with Decca Australia, a division of Universal Music Australia, is a partnership with Skinnyfish Music and its long-time Managing Director Mark Grose and Creative Director and musical collaborator Michael Hohnen.

“Mark and I at Skinnyfish Music are extremely proud of our close and personal relationship with this incredible artist and his community and what we have been able to achieve over the past 21 years,” comments Hohnen in a statement.

“We now look forward to working with a major international partner and help bring this story and body of work to a much broader audience”.

Gurrumul

Welcoming Gurrumul into the Universal family, George Ash, President of Universal Music Australia and New Zealand says the signing is “a deep and genuine privilege for all of us,” and the major music company is “excited to nurture his legacy and share it with the world.”

Blind from birth and raised in the remote Galiwin’ku community on Elcho Island, off the coast of Arnhem land in the Northern Territory, Gurrumul emerged as one Australia’s most important artists and a star on the global stage.

His big breakthrough came in 2008 with his debut, Gurrumul. Sung entirely in his native Yolngu language, Gurrumul peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart following his jaw-dropping performance at the 2008 ARIA Awards, where he collected wins for best world album and best independent release.

Yunupingu’s follow-up, Rrakala and The Gospel Album, both hit No. 3 on the chart.

Stream Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s ‘Wiyathul’

In 2015, iconic producer Quincy Jones introduced Yunupingu to American audiences ahead of his first-ever solo tour of the country.

The singer, enthused Jones, had “one of the most unusual and emotional and musical voices that I’ve ever heard.” 

Gurrumul passed away on 25th July, 2017, following a health battle.

The following year, he made history with Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow), which debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart to become the first LP in an indigenous language to lead the national tally. 

The album also took out the Australian Music Prize.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.