The Artistry Of Yirrmal
Yirrmal Live
From Kansas City To Lilydale
By Jim Jacob
By Rob Dickens
We at Listening Through The Lens have been separately impressed by Yirrmal.
Rob first captured him in 2018 at Folk Alliance International in Kansas City, Missouri (read his take of that conference HERE), and Jim just the other day at Valentino Safe Co‘s quirky and successful venue in rural northern Tasmania. Spanning continents over seven years, we both felt compelled to acknowledge this unique, talented and humble Australian indigenous singer-songwriter.
Bio
Yirrmal Marika is a proud member of the Rirratjingu clan from Yirrkala in the remote eastern part of the Northern Territory in Australia. He began his musical journey at age eleven, having been influenced and inspired by his father Witiyana Marika (of famed band Yothu Yindi), his grandfather Dr Gurrumul Yunupingu and other iconic indigenous musicians. His debut single “Deep Blue Sea” came out in 2013 and the acclaimed five-song EP Youngblood in 2016, the latter featuring co-writing from Shane Howard, Alesa Lajana and Neil Murray.
Yirrmal featured on Baker Boy‘s 2017 hit “Marryuna,” which won Best Song at the Music Victoria Awards. His recent releases, including “Promised Land” with Dami Im and “Love Sweet Love” with Shane Howard continue to meld cultural heritage with contemporary expression.
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Folk Alliance International is a wonderfully grand event that includes official and private showcases, an awards ceremony and industry conference. Yirrmal sung with fire and fervour about his homeland and culture with such feeling that he seemed to hypnotise the room. He started the set with a vocal dedication to the traditional owners of the land there. The performance was sweet and poignant, yet it appeared that you could have heard it three blocks away. The sound through the corridors of The Westin Hotel acted as a call to arms, the room packed within minutes. The emotion caused this writer to be more than a little homesick and shed a quiet tear. A standing ovation.
Lilydale, Tasmania, Australia
His performance at Valentino Safe Co. was a delight. The room was packed, Yurrimal’s voice was commanding, mesmerising the audience. Some songs were in English and some in his native tongue. Matt Fell accompanied him on electric guitar, filling in the gaps with aplomb (support Dusty Rusty helped out on two songs with his harmonica as well). Yirrmal had just spent three months overseas and literally hopped on a domestic flight and straight to the gig, with no ill effects. His appreciation of the warm response was noteworthy, shaking hands with many audience members, demonstrating his passion and commitment to his craft. If you get a chance to see this compelling performer, don’t let it slip
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More Music Adventures Await!
The Artistry Of Yirrmal
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