Ngulmiya Nundhirribala is an iconic songman and ceremony leader from Numbulwar, Arnhem Land. His traditional vocal style has developed over thousands of years, mainly in isolation, with later influence from the Makassan traders from SE Asia. Backed by Janáčkova filharmonie Ostrava, Luke Howard on piano and his son Nayurryurr, Ngulmiya performs work from his recent self titled album that featured the Budapest Art Orchestra and arrangements by Melbourne’s Luke Howard and Anthony Gray.
His stunning virtuosic singing ranges from pure beauty, to soul stirring calls to his ancestors, to evocative god-like power and raw emotion. Ngulmiya is spearheading a new style of traditional music, the songs he sings are still private ceremony songs, normally sung with didjeridoo accompaniment, but arranged and performed with global artists, sung like they have never been heard before, or will be again. This is the point at which high art traditional ceremony music from remote Arnhem Land, breaks away, and becomes high art on a world scale.
"...owner of a voice capable of making you leave your body, no exaggeration.” Mundo Sonoro
“For almost an hour it seems as if the hall of Teatro Tivoli has been teleported to another universe, one of terrifying beauty." Ton Maas, MixedWorldMusic.com
Read more“…this astonishing album confirms Ngulmiya as the purest, strongest and most impressive Australian Indigenous voice that we’ve heard since Gurrumul. Thoroughly gorgeous.” Seth Jordan, Songlines Magazine.
"The sound image is dominated by two voices that can compete with those of a classic hero tenor in terms of breath support, intensity and vibrato." Ton Maas, MixedWorldMusic.com
“5 stars. Brilliant solo album from Anrhem Land songman”. Seth Jordan, Songlines Magazine