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Bakitju by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

Dr G Yunupingu: An exquisite singer who 'spoke to the soul' By Trevor Marshallsea

He was the other-worldly singer who counted Elton John and Sting among his fans, and who played for the Pope, the Queen and Barack Obama.

If not the face of indigenous Australia, he was certainly its voice.

Known for playing an "upside-down" guitar, Dr G Yunupingu sang mostly in his native Yolngu language and spoke little English. The blind singer-songwriter who sold more than half a million albums worldwide, died on Tuesday night in Darwin, aged just 46.

The biggest-selling Aboriginal artist in history, Yunupingu had suffered chronic liver and kidney problems for several years, stemming from his contracting Hepatitis B as a child.

His death triggered a wave of tributes from the Australian music community and beyond. ……

The singer's Darwin-based record company, Skinnyfish, said it was mourning "the loss of a great Australian" and "one of the most important figures in Australian music history", noting his 2011 single, Bayini, was the first indigenous language single to reach the Australian top five.