Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is the example of how people will buy great, innovative music when it is offered to them. ‘Gurrumul’ is about to tick over double platinum (140,000 units) and now Geoffrey is exploring new formats with the release of the album on DDA.
DDA is the USB wristband technology being used to distribute albums with visual content such as the CD booklet, promotional videos, biographies, photos and lyrics viewed from your computer.The technology also allows the fan of the artist to connect to the artists online community and access additional information as it becomes known.
The ‘Gurrumul’ album is ideally placed for the technology as it allows independent artists to form a relationship with the music fan obliterated by the impersonal download.
‘Gurrumul’ was released in 2008 and quickly accepted by the music buying public in Australia. The album reached no. 4 on the ARIA chart and has remained in the Top 30 now for 34 weeks.
It won Best World Music Album at the ARIA Awards, the Deadly Album of the Year and Best Australian Independent Album and Best Australian Blues/Roots album at the AIR Awards.
Gurrumul was the 2009 Northern Territory Australian of the Year and a recent painting of the singer by Guy Maestri won The Archibald Prize.
Gurrumul was born blind, has never learned Braille and speaks very little English.
He is a former member of Yothu Yindi and also performs with the Saltwater Band.
Saltwater Band will perform at the Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival on the Easter weekend.
