Gurrumul Makes US Debut in New York

Aboriginal singer Gurrumul has made his US debut in the Big Apple.

The blind musician told the sold-out venue: “We love you, New York!”

Dubbed “Australia’s most important voice”, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is performing at several venues across the US.

Born blind, Gurrumul sings in his tribal Gumatj dialect (Yolngu language), spoken by no more than 3,000 people.

The concert was co-presented by music producer Quincy Jones, who has called Gurrumul “unbelievable”.

Quincy Jones’ endorsement is what brought Marc Storey to Wednesday night’s concert (“Quincy knows his stuff”), on a visit to New York from Britain.

“I’m a new fan,” Quincy Jones said, describing the music as “enchanting”.

Gurrumul remained silent between songs, leaving the talking to his collaborator, double bassist Michael Hohnen.

The singer, who lives on the isolated northern Australian island of Elcho, did speak briefly to thank the crowd.

Along with Quincy Jones’ support, Gurrumul has attracted praise from other high-profile musicians, including Sting and Elton John.

Gurrumul plays at the New Orleans Jazz Festival on May 1st, before heading to gigs in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.