"Bayini" is 'spiritual love song' performed in Yolngu Matha, an

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

language of Northern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It is track three on

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu 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 Yolŋu peoples. A multi-instrumentalist, he played ...

's album, '' Rrakala'', which was released by Skinny Fish Music on April 15, 2011.

Meaning

According to the

National Museum of Australia The National Museum of Australia, in the national capital Canberra, preserves and interprets Australia's social history, exploring the key issues, people and events that have shaped the nation. It was formally established by the ''National Muse ...

, "Bayini" are light-skinned mythological beings who were also involved in collecting and curing trepang (an edible sea cucumber). In literature, the first non-Aboriginal visitors to the

Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia, with the term still in use. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territory capital, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compan ...

coast are referred to as Bayini. In songs that record and preserve their traditions, Aboriginal people of Arnhem land tell of the Bayini gypsies with copper coloured skin who visited their shores. John Gratorex said in the ''Rrakala'' sleeve notes; "Yolngu are deep thinking philosophical people. The words in the song refer to many families sitting together on the beach looking to waves and sea, the horizon, contemplating. Long ago from over the horizon the Bayini came to Yolngu country."

Gurrumul and Sarah Blasko version

On June 1, 2012, "Bayini" was re-recorded for radio release. The main version contained vocals from singer,

Sarah Blasko Sarah Elizabeth Blaskow (born 23 September 1976), known professionally as Sarah Blasko, is an Australian singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. From April 2002, Blasko developed her solo career after fronting Sydney-based band, Acqui ...

, singing additional lyrics in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. In July 2012, the song received unprecedented attention and began getting airplay on ABC radio and

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...

and Gurrumul's album, ''Rrakala'', achieved platinum sales in Australia.

Gurrumul and Delta Goodrem version

In 2013, Gurrumul joined

Delta Goodrem Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive week ...

and the

Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and firs ...

for a special performance of Bayini on ''

The Voice Australia ''The Voice'' is an Australian singing competition television series. It premiered on the Nine Network on 14 April 2012, before moving to the Seven Network in 2021. Based on the original ''The Voice of Holland'', and part of ''The Voice '' ...

''. The clip has had over 1,746,395 views on YouTube. Goodrem said of the performance; "Gurrumul is one of this country's greatest voices and to receive his invitation to perform on 'The Voice' was so special and something I will cherish forever." The performance was in celebration of

National Reconciliation Week National Reconciliation Week is intended to celebrate Indigenous history and culture in Australia and foster reconciliation discussion and activities. It started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993, developing into National Reconcili ...

and following popular demand, the single was released on May 31 with proceeds of the single going towards the newly formed Gurrumul Yunupingu Foundation, which aims to help young people in indigenous communities realise their potential. Despite peaking at number #1 on iTunes throughout the week, "Bayini" debuted at #4 on the

ARIA In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

singles chart, thus becoming Gurrumul's highest-charting single and Goodrem's 13th top 5 single.

Meaning

Gurrumul and Sarah Blasko version

Gurrumul and Delta Goodrem version

Chart performance

Weekly chart

Yearly chart

References

External links