Perhaps somewhere in the liminal spaces between Word on a Wing, Loving the Alien, Bowie’s Lets Dance film clip shot in Aboriginal Australia – where he feared that Grace would fall – and the anguish of a silent God on I Would be Your Slave lies Gurrumul, the blind seer.
Playing as part of Supersense, a festival that includes performances of Brian Eno’s music and John Cale, Gurrumul is something special.
“Aboriginal singer Gurrumul is a stunningly unique voice in the contemporary global landscape, and in this world premiere he pays tribute to the spiritual richness of north east Arnhemland and the gospel songs of his youth. As a child on Elcho Island, Gurrumul’s musical world was influenced not only by the traditional music of his clan but by the gospel hymns he heard at the local Methodist church. Now those songs are reimagined through the unique voice of one of our most treasured artists. Joined by a choir and expanding the sounds he heard as a boy, this concert is a deeply human encounter between cultures and across time. “There’s something preternaturally soothing about the voice of Gurrumul… His music is as approachable as it is otherworldly.” – The New York Times”