Globally acclaimed Indigenous singer songwriter Dr G. Yunupingu passes

Globally acclaimed Indigenous singer songwriter Dr G. Yunupingu passed away in Royal Darwin Hospital at 5pm yesterday, following a long illness.

The multi-ARIA and Deadlys winning Dr. Yunupingu (his full name and image are withheld at the request of his family for cultural reasons) was 46.

The blind musician had been receiving five-hour-a-day renal dialysis in the last year after a prolonged periodof kidney problems fromcontracting Hepatitis B as a child.

He made one of his last major appearances at last year’s National Indigenous Music Awards in Darwin, where he picked up his fifth Artist of the Year award.

Having made the 2.5 hour journey from hospital, he took to the stage in a wheelchair to receive the award before promptly returning to his care facility.

While his management had confirmed his touring days were overdue to the dialysis treatment, Dr. Yunupingu was working in the studio recording fresh tracks, according to photos posted earlier this year on Facebook.

Blind from birth, Dr. Yunupingu was born on January 22, 1971 in the remote Galiwin’ku community on Elcho Island off the coast of Arnhem Land.

He learned to play drums, keyboards, guitar and didgeridoo, and after stints in Yothu Yindi and Saltwater Band, he released his debut solo album in 2008.

Singing in his native Yolngu tongue and in English, his Australian and global success was a testament of a stunning angelic voice that broke language barriers.

His breakthrough came as his team introducedDr. Yunupingu to an audience open to fresh sounds and new experiences through influential bloggers and ABC Radio, with his debutsolo album album reaching#3 on the ARIA chart and triple platinum certification.

A similar ploy was undertaken when he began to tour abroad. Audiences were overwhelmed, and Elton John, Sting and Björk were among those who declared themselves fans and spread his name in interviews.

Dr. Yunupingu went on to sell 500,000 albums around the world, his Darwin-based record label Skinnyfish Music confirmed overnight.

In a statement, Skinnyfish acclaimed him as “remembered today as one of the most important figures in Australian music history.”

“His debut album cemented him as the Australian voice of a generation, hitting triple platinum in Australia, silver in the UK and charting in multiple other countries across the globe,” they stated.

“The highest selling Indigenous artist in history, Dr G. Yunupingu released two subsequent top five studio albums Rrakala and The Gospel Album, achieved a swag of ARIA Awards, performed across the globe for audiences including Queen Elizabeth II and Barack Obama and released the first Indigenous language single to reach the top five, all the while continuing to call Elcho Island home.”

Community was a huge focus of the musician’s, becoming the driving force behind the G. Yunupingu Foundation and creating opportunities for young people across the Northern Territory.

“His legacy as a musician and community leader will continue as his life’s work continues its positive impact on Elcho Island, the Northern Territory, Australia and the world,” the Skinnyfish team added.

By 2012, illness had started to affect his ability to play concerts, with appearances at the London Olympics and subsequent US and European tours cancelled.

Quiet and media-shy but with an irresistible sense of humour, the 2009 NT Australian of the Year allowed his producer and music director Michael Hohnen to speak on his behalf.

When he returned home from tours, he’d head back to Elcho Island to indulge in its traditional past times of fishing, continuing to writeand record on a low scale, including collaborations and orchestral works.

“It is his one of his big loves,” Hohnen said last year.

A documentaryon his life is set to premiere at the Melbourne Film Festival next month.