Ted Gondarra, Elcho Island resident stated that the final wish for the film, which was given approval by Gurrumul only a few days before he passed away, was that it would be a source of continued pride for the community. It was an album four years in the making and was completed by producer and arranger Michael Hohnen. He was born blind, has never learned Braille and does not have a guide dog or use a white cane. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (22 January 1971 - 25 July 2017), commonly known as Gurrumul and also referred to since his death as Dr G. Yunupingu, was an Aboriginal Australian musician of the Yolu peoples. I made sure to read the lyrics and understand the meaning of each song. Which famous people has gurrumul performed for. And, for me, his legacy was opening people's hearts to one of the greatest assets of this country.". Through the film we get a glimpse of just how special and integral the bond between Gurrumul and Hohnen was, with the latter often being known as the spokesperson for the acutely shy performer both on stage and in interviews. Aged only 46, he'd succumbed to organ failure relating to the hepatitis B he'd contracted in childhood. LipiScan is a non-invasive procedure that helps our doctors see and analyze the health of your Meibomian glands. Yunupingu speaks only a few words of English, and is said to be acutely shy. The 12 songs that make up Djarimirri all relate to specific totems and aspects of Yolngu culture, including Waak (Crow), Ngarrpiya (Octopus), Gapu (Freshwater), Baru (Saltwater Crocodile), Marrayarr (Flag). He sang stories of his land both in Yolu languages such as Gaalpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuynu, a dialect related to Gumatj, and in English. Born in Mudgee, NSW in 1974, Maestri completed a Bachelor of Fine Art (Hons) in painting at the National Art School, Darlinghurst in 2003. He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. Watch David Norths remarks commemorating 25 years of the World Socialist Web Site and donate today. Australias Most Important Voice Rolling Stone Australia. I knew if we could capture that spirit across a whole record, there would be something really special, Hohnen told the Guardian in April 2016. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the, Let me know when this portraits on display. Sir Elton John, Sting and Bjrk are among his fans. "" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. He said it would be wrong to call the singer an overnight success since he had played for many years with the well-known Yothu Yindi band before forming his own Saltwater Band and then striking out on his own. And I think Yolngu don't want him forgotten, that's what they said to us. as well as on it. It is made with oil on linen, surrounded by a simple two-centimetre-wide black frame. Preceding the release of Williams' documentary by two weeks (the film opens on April 25), Djarimirri stands as the singer's final gift to the world, one last reminder that his rise to fame was more than deserved. Elton John, Sting and Bjrk were among his fans. [8], In 2013, Yunupingu joined Delta Goodrem for a special performance of "Bayini" on The Voice Australia. ", The cover of Gurrumuls eponymous studio album (2008).Credit:Courtesy of ABC. I believe he was born that way if I remember correctly. Gurrumul has performed for Her Majesty the Queen of England, US President Barack Obama, Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary of Denmark. "Yep, spot on," Gurrumul told the three in Melbourne. The music kind of suits that being on the edge of two worlds and the feeling of how its not completely comfortable, says Hohnen. Which is better guitar tricks or JamPlay. Aborigines in Australia remain a disadvantaged minority with high levels of ill-health, unemployment and poverty. [10] In December 2020, Yunupingu was listed at number 33 in Rolling Stone Australia's "50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time" issue. beyond the stage Hohnen was on the phone with Gurrumul, his longtime friend and musical partner, and the biggest star at Skinnyfish, which he co-owns. He is making it easier for the world to understand. The album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow), is released on 13 April through Skinnyfish, Gurrumul review stirring and soulful ode to Australia's most important voice, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. "Gurrumul" redirects here. With Manuel Dhurrkay he also fronted Saltwater Band, the group putting out three records in a decade from 1999. These Yolngu songs, some thought to be more than 4000 years old, were traditionally backed by the yidaki wind instrument in repetitive rhythms, giving the lyrics a foundation on which to build. The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bengali: ), or BELA (), is a nonprofit legal organization established in 1992 to assist efforts to protect the environment. 1 in the mainstream iTunes charts.Gurrumul peaked at #4 on the ARIA Charts. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. Gurrumul agreed to the film as long as his health was not a part of it; and his uncle, Yunupingu, asked that life in their community be shown with dignity. His first album as an acoustic artist, Gurrumul, was released in Australia in 2008 and went double platinum. In fact, the documentary is the closest any journalism has come to explaining the challenge of living in two cultures which both demanded so much from Gurrumul. This song has been hailed by critics and millions over th. Yunupingus success is all the more remarkable because he speaks only a few words of English, is said to be acutely shy, and most of his songs are sung in his native language of Yolngu. It says, in part, "The family have given permission that, following the final funeral ceremony (which occurred at Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island on November 24 last year), his name and image may once again be used publicly, to ensure that his legacy will continue to inspire both his people and Australians more broadly. Please try again later. Gurrumul is the first indigenous Australian solo artist to breakthrough to the mainstream with audiences and critics responding passionately to the album. "It was a strange way to sign off a conversation," he says. Required fields are marked *. The documentary opens with one of Gurrumuls earliest and only media interviews, a filmed sit-down with the ABCs flagship current affairs show. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Aboriginal singer beats poverty and prejudice to top Australian charts. With a voice that captured the heart of millions across the world, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was an enigmatic talent. The final product is polished and seems effortless but the film reveals otherwise. Both men feigned concern about the social plight of the majority of Aborigines and voiced platitudes about Gurrumuls music and indigenous disadvantage. These ritualistic proclamations are thoroughly disingenuous. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (born 1970) is an indigenous Australian musician, who sings in the Yolngu language. We underestimated him.. Yunupingus songs are attracting people who do not normally listen to Aboriginal music and he received standing ovations after two recent performances at the Sydney Opera House. This portrait of Gumatj man and musician Gurrumul is a large monotone painting. On his left upper forehead, a circular shape of white untouched canvas indicates the light source. By his mid-teens he had joined Indigenous rock group Yothu Yindi and a little while later Hohnen convinced him to pursue a solo career. A member of the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu people, despite being a world traveler, he lived there throughout his life. His chin and neck fade into dark greys and blacks. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (19702017), a Gumatj man from north-east Arnhem Land, was born blind but learned to play guitar, keyboard, drums and didgeridoo as a child. The cover of Gurrumuls eponymous studio album (2008). Blind from birth, he played the guitar upside down with his left hand. [8] As of 2020, it is estimated that Yunupingu has sold half a million records globally. The Guardian, Thursday 17 July 2008. Both men were ministers in the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments from December 2007 to September 2013. In October 2015, the album won Gurrumul's third ARIA Award for Best World Music Album. We used to think Gurrumul wouldnt go far, would never show his independence, says Yunupingu. I was introduced to Gurrumul by Michael Hohnen, his bass player, record producer and close friend, who explained to him about the Archibald and why I wanted to paint him. Maestri did lots of sketches and studied Gurrumuls face intently. [8], In April 2018, Yunupingu's fourth studio album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow), was released. There is no cultural or social context for Gurrumul to understand or translate Every Breath You Take into Yolngu Matha to say nothing of the glaring irony of asking him to sing the line Ill be watching you. Gurrumuls home community of Galiwinku and the surrounding Arnhem Land is Aboriginal territory and a deeply traditional place of multiple clans and tribes. Meibomianitis is inflammation of the meibomian glands, a group of oil-releasing (sebaceous) glands in the eyelids. [26] In 2009 a portrait of Yunupingu by Guy Maestri won Australia's major art prize, the Archibald Prize. ", The Gospel Album (2015).Credit:Courtesy of ABC. The concert was co-presented by music producer Quincy Jones, who has called Gurrumul "unbelievable". Michael Hohnen Djarimirri is essentially an exercise in ethnomusicology the keeping alive of this ancient music, albeit in a more modern fashion, so that those yet to come are able to access it, no matter their cultural background. There's this ownership of him. Critics raved about his unearthly voice, fusion of music styles and authentic Aboriginal sound and stories. Gift of the artist 2011. Gurrumul shot to prominence in 2008 with the release of his debut album Gurrumul, which was nominated for four ARIAs and won two. 'I like singing about the story properly, singing all the right names of land, and ancestors, because I have to give out the right story. "It's affected Mark and I very personally," he says, referring to his Skinnyfish Music co-founder, Mark Grose. Earnings from his music sales went to his parentsDaisy Gurruwiwi and Terry Yunupinguand their extended family, his daughter Jasmine and her mother, and were also used to establish a charitable foundation for indigenous youth. However, a very rare exception has been made byGumatj and Glpu clan leaders for this film. [34], In July 2016, Yunupingu featured on the A.B. Critics have heaped praise on the singer and described his voice as having transcendental beauty. With a voice that captured the heart of millions across the world, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was an enigmatic talent. The collar on his right covers the neck and makes the jaw line directly. Gurrumul: a man with a strong sense of humour, deep ties to his homelands and little taste for the limelight. Sorry, this video has expired Gurrumul is front facing, his head tilts down until his right. It is a deteriorating, awkwardly silent affair that ends with Hohnen lowering his head to the desk in front of him. Gurrumul (born Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu) was a Gumatj man from Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory. Sir Elton John, Sting and Bjrk are among his fans. A true testament to his legacy, the Gurrumul documentary released in 2018 has been screened internationally and won the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Award (AACTA) for best documentary, showing a deep worldwide appreciation for his story and songs. abbreviation. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. "Dialysis was not something that he enjoyed," Hohnen says. In a culture where the names and images of those that have passed over are retired, a generous allowance from Gurrumul's family has made thisstrict protocol permissible, where themusician's important role in lifecontinuesbeyond, as a bridge between two cultures. He was one of only two Australian performers at the Queens Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace. "One world is Balanda, the other world is Yolngu," as Gurrumul describes it. "Michael had this concept of combining the more traditional songs and chanting and yidaki patterns, with this kind of contemporary minimalist orchestral tradition," explains Erkki Veltheim, the Melbourne-based composer and violinist who arranged the album. The album is an ambitious project which continues Gurrumuls habit of marrying together the two worlds he lived in. The world wants to know more about him. The multiple ARIA-Award-winner, whose full name news.com.au has withheld for cultural reasons, died in Royal Darwin Hospital about 5pm on Tuesday. Djarimirri is essentially, an album that sets ancient Yolngu chants against an orchestral background to make them more palatable to the Western ear. It debuted at number 3 on the ARIA Charts. Living a traditional Yolngu life, his breakthrough album 'Gurrumul . A mixture of traditional songs and new compositions, they reflect his background growing up in one of the most remote but beautiful parts of the continent. were a close unit, '," Williams remembers. "[29], In 2012, Yunupingu was one of the contributing vocalists on Gary Barlow's commemorative single "Sing" for Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee celebrations, which features artists from across the Commonwealth. Gurrumul's songs speak of identity, spirit, connection with the land, the elements and the ancestral beings to whom he is related. While this rise might have seemed meteoric, Gurrumul paid his dues in a slow build that began with culture-bridging group Yothu Yindi in the late 1980s. The very nature of these traditional songs and the yidaki patterns do have a lot of repetition in them, but also a lot of variation within that repetition, which combines really well with the small orchestra.". [32] "Bayini" became the first track by an indigenous musician to reach the top five of the Australian charts. A multi-instrumentalist, he played drums, keyboards, guitar (a right-hand-strung guitar played left-handed) and didgeridoo, but it was the clarity of his singing voice that attracted rave reviews. The image is made with variously dense, watery and inconsistent brush strokes, creating a allayed three dimensional quality in rich tones of black and gray that construct a voluminous contemplative face. In July last year, filmmaker Paul Williams, sound engineer Pip Atherstone-Reid and Michael Hohnen, creative director of Darwin record label Skinnyfish Music, were in an editing room at Windmill studios in Collingwood, Melbourne. Gurrumul was not an enigma, the film reveals, but rather a man with a strong sense of humour, deep ties to his homelands, and little taste for the limelight as he travelled around Europe, the US and Australia. His eponymous 2008 solo debut album was certified three times platinum in Australia, and made the top 20 in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland upon its European release. [17] Gurrumul peaked at No. Interviews and feature reports from NITV. ominis gaunt why is he blind. We have sent a confirmation email to {USEREMAIL}. He pauses and sighs. Singer-songwriter Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu will release his eponymous solo debut album Gurrumul via Dramatico Entertainment on June 15. Born blind, the Indigenous Australian singer/songwriter Gurrumul grew up as a member of the Gumatj clan on Elcho Island, off the coast of tropical North East Arnhem land in Australias Northern Territory. From there, the task was to transcribe the yidaki patterns into Western notation. [25], In November 2009, Yunupingu was named Best New Independent Artist and his album, Gurrumul, Best Independent Release and Best Independent Blues/Roots Release at the Australian Independent Record (AIR) Awards held at Melbourne's Corner Hotel. Just ask. But initially, Djarimirri isn't an easy listen. Three days later, on July 25, 2017, Gurrumul died in Royal Darwin Hospital. In 2009, he was named Best New Independent Artist and the album won both Best Independent Release and Best Independent Blues/Roots Release at the Australian Independent Record (AIR) Awards. "[That] was a real challenge, but also a great pleasure to come up with these arrangements," he recalls. They talk of their. In touching and heartbreaking sequences Gurrumul learns of loved ones passing away, and we see the funeral ceremonies that he travels back home for. He would just love hearing all of the voices in there and all the memories from his days in different bands, and what people were saying about him, says Michael Hohnen, cofounder of the Skinnyfish music label and Gurrumuls longtime friend and musical partner. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. Gurrumul was no stranger to orchestral work, having released a live album in 2013 with the Sydney Symphony. [5] An adventurous child, he was taught how to play basketball and ride a push-bike around his community. Yunupingu, who was born blind, has an ongoing liver condition due to contracting Hepatitis B from a young age, Skinny Fish Music managing director Mark Grose told the ABC. he says. He plays drums, keyboards, guitar (a right hand-strung guitar left-handed) and didgeridoo, but it is the clarity of his singing voice that has attracted rave reviews. did he go blind from his family torturing him or was he born that way i don't remember if they expanded on it or not. He was born blind. Eight hours later he was admitted into intensive care. Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) has been more than six years in the making and involves the singer, in Hohnen's words, delving "deeper into the cultural elements of his music". SharkDog333 2 hr. Royalties from Djarimirri will flow, in part, into the Gurrumul Yunupingu Foundation, which has a vision statement that speaks of creating "greater opportunities for remote Indigenous young people to realise their full potential and contribute to culturally vibrant and sustainable communities". Theres a dozen yidaki elsewhere known as didgeridoos in a plastic bin sitting in the corner, some painted in traditional designs, some wrapped in silver gaffa tape. Light spills to the left side of his face, tumbling down his forehead, eyebrow, cheek and lips. Following a long battle with illness, Gurrumul passed away in 2017 at Royal Darwin Hospital at the age of 46. Instead of his usual "see you later", Gurrumul ended the call by saying goodbye, which he'd not done before. [63] Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [55], The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Central to Gurrumul's career was Michael Hohnen, a musician and producer who established SkinnyFish Records and was the first to encourage the shy singer to step out from the Saltwater Band to develop his own unique style of playing and performing. The National Indigenous Music Awards recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. "The audience requiresa lot of information to make sense of Gurrumuls musical rise because it emerged from a culture thatsso different to that of most people watching the film," Filmmaker Williams says. It could be read by a conductor or composer in Germany and they'd understand it. Herein, how did gurrumul go blind? Gurrumul is the personification of a cross-over artist, likewise, the filmmust cross back and forth between his Yolngu and the broader whitefella worlds." When Gurrumul died, the record label pressed pause, in part because in Yolngu culture, when a person dies, their name, image and any music or art is retired for some time. "Gurrumul was such a unique and happy person, someone who, no matter how recalcitrant, always made you feel that fun and music and traditional culture were here to be lived and loved.". He found purpose and meaning through songs inspired by his community and country in North East Arnhem Land. Even though he couldn't see the nature, he was born to feel the nature." The singers friend Michael Hohnen, who produced his album, acts as Yunupingus translator. How to Choose the Right Guitar String Gauges? source: http://www.thearchibaldprize.com.au/winners/archibald, Aboriginal singer beats poverty and prejudice to top Australian charts "It was really only in retrospect, when we looked back, that we said, 'Maybe that was goodbye.' He just says its his role to tell these stories about his culture.. But the European tour is a success and they sign with a US promoter, promising unlimited opportunities. I usually work in a very liberal, gestural way but this time I built up the image quietly and slowly with many glazes in an attempt to capture the beautiful quality of his skin. It also paints a portrait of the close relationship between the artist and Hohnen. In November 2008, he was named Best New Independent Artist, and his album, Gurrumul, Best Independent Album and Best Australian Independent Blues/Roots Album at the Jagermeister AIR (Australian Independent Record Labels Association ) Awards held at Melbournes Corner Hotel. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Simply so, what causes gurrumul blindness? But the basic incompatibility of this shy, private man with the hype and spotlight of the music industry were . To see without seeing? The breakup of indigenous communities continued and the regressive attacks on social welfare recipients used in the Northern Territory were expanded to selected non-indigenous communities across Australia (see: The Aboriginal intervention in Australia: Four years on). For further information please contact NPG Copyright. Blind from birth and raised in the community of Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island, Gurrumul was brought up learning the stories and history of his people, through song and dance, the rhythms of life . And hes making it new. Short curly black hair frames his head. The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. Instead of undergoing minor surgery to rectify the problem, which was associated with liver disease, Gurrumul was left overnight in the Rapid Assessment Unit, where he continued vomiting blood. Yunupingus doctor Paul Lawton told a press conference that the singer was a victim of incompetence or racial profiling. If music and guitar has never been part of your interests then this site may change your view and be a music lover. He performed with Yothu Yindi from 1985 to 1992, when he formed the Saltwater Band. Although, spending a lot of time with his family, they said to us, even at his funeral, that no one's stopped listening to his music. source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jul/17/australia.culture, Your email address will not be published. Filmed over the course of ten years, the documentary feature by Paul Williams gives us a window into the rich and complex Yolngu culture and ceremonial life, a world that informed the singer's music and voice. Yunupingu was born on Galiwin'ku, Elcho Island, in the massive Arnhem Land, one of the five regions that make up Australia's Northern Territory. Best. The recording is as much a representation of all Yolngu. That is for other Yolu. His albums were praised by music critics and singer-songwriters alike, including Sting, Elton John, Paul Kelly and others who performed with him. How do you play C minor pentatonic scale on guitar? [18] The album was certified triple platinum. The cover of Gurrumul's posthumous album, Djarimirri (2018).Credit:Courtesy of ABC. And when hes invited to sing a duet with Sting on a French TV show, it nearly ends in disaster. Gurrumul is the highest-selling Indigenous musician in Australian history. On 25 July 2017, Australia mourned the loss of one of its music greats. This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Largely self-taught, he plays drums, keyboards, guitar and didgeridoo, but it is his clarity of voice that has attracted rave reviews. 69 on the ARIA Charts and No. This was deliberate, Hohnen says. The best of these include Bapa, which is dedicated to his father, Wukun, about storm clouds rising over Elcho Island, and History (I Was Born Blind), one of his few English-language songs. BAPA. He had a special place to see, which was his heart. Deeply embedded in the documentary project, he brought the camera crew along to his fathers funeral. He doesnt want to be photographed or talk to anyone. He hates the exposure and the attention. Geoffrey Gurrumul YunupinguHis Life and Music 2013 Australian. Asked to comment, Northern Territory Health Minister John Elferink arrogantly dismissed the accusation, rejected calls for an investigation and then provocatively accused Skinnyfish Music of staging a publicity stunt to promote a new album by the singer. It also jumped to No. Hohnen, a classically trained bass player and co-founder of Skinnyfish Music, was among the first to recognise the unique qualities of Gurrumuls voice. They all play it. Add a Comment. He was left handed, taught himself guitar with a right handed guitar that was given to him by read more He has had solo exhibitions at the Tim Olsen Gallery and was a finalist in the 2007 and 2008 Dobell Drawing Prize. Its a heartbreaking moment in the film. [7] He had lived with liver and kidney damage for many years due to hepatitis B which he had contracted in childhood. You get it when theres a problem with a few dozen tiny glands in your eyelids that help make the oil layer of your tears. The CD simply titled Gurrumul quickly achieved triple platinum sales status in Australia and sold half a million copies worldwide. This technology is used to diagnose gland dysfunction (MGD), which indicates an abnormality or blockage of the glands. "Spot on.". To Briggs's mind, Gurrumul's popularity was testament to his hard work, his musicality and his talent. I think thats the only way you move forward. Guy Maestris portrait of the musician was conceived after the artist saw Gurrumul perform in Sydney on New Years Eve 2008. being brought to life through the fusion of Gurrumul's voice and guidance in traditional song being fused with the work ofcomposer Erkki Veltheim and the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Born blind, his powerfully emotive yet fragile voice has affected the public unlike any other Australian artist. ", Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society, "2009 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners", "Gurrumul Is The 2022 NIMA Hall Of Fame Inductee", Video of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu performing, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geoffrey_Gurrumul_Yunupingu&oldid=1141636930, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Articles with dead external links from August 2012, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. He cant be found and the tour collapses. Maestri worked on the painting for a month, listening to Gurrumul's music as he built up the image layer upon layer. Gurrumul shot to prominence in 2008 with the release of his debut album Gurrumul, which was nominated for four ARIAs and won two. "[21], In 2008 Yunupingu was nominated for four ARIA Awards,[22] winning the awards for Best World Music Album[23] and Best Independent Release. "He was special in so many ways, in Western and Yolngu worlds," his niece, Miriam Yirrininba Dhurrkay, tells me. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons. Hohnen is in the midst of promoting the documentary, and preparing for the imminent release of Gurrumuls posthumous album, Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow), which was four years in the making. Blind from birth, the proud Yolngu man spoke through his music. Half a million copies of Gurrumul have been sold worldwide. More importantly, I got a sense of his presence and this determined the nature of the portrait: quiet and strong. By the time Skinnyfish came to release the eponymous Gurrumul in 2008, a year before Saltwater's final album, the man and his music were match fit. Gurrumuls second studio album, Rrakala (2011).Credit:Courtesy of ABC. Most of his songs are sung in Galpu, Gumatj or Djambarrpuyngu, which are all languages of the Yolngu people of northeastern Arnhem Land. Away from cameras and the stage, we are alsogiven a glimpse of the sense of humour and cheekiness that Gurrumul maintained throughout his life and career. By subscribing, you agree to SBSs terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS. His family, while supportive of his success in the lead-up to the US tour, had flagged their apprehension about his expansion into the Balanda or white persons world; they were happy for him to be the bridge between two cultures, but worry that he could not maintain his cultural ties.