Five years after his death, a new version of Gurrumul's Bayini shines light on Indigenous Australia's pre-colonial ties with Indonesia - ABC News

Five years after his death, a new version of Gurrumul's Bayini shines light on Indigenous Australia's pre-colonial ties with Indonesia.

South-East Asian fishers frequently visited sites across Australia's north as early as 1700 — decades before European settlement — forging ties with Indigenous Australian groups, influencing their language and establishing international trade.

And now thanks to a new release of Rraywun Maymuru's song Bayini performed by Gurrumul Yunupingu, the little-known relationship between Australia's First Nations people and the Makassar of the Indonesian archipelago is back in the spotlight. .

Bayini was first performed with Sarah Blasko, and then with Delta Goodrem, and now Gurrumul's voice has been posthumously released alongside Makassan singer Dian.

Dian says she was "speechless" when first presented with the opportunity of singing in Makassar alongside Gurrumul.

Releasing a new version that incorporates the Makassan language, Michael says, opens Gurrumul's music up to a new international audience and continues his legacy.

The Makassan contact with Australia's north has become a keen area of study, but the exact date of when this relationship began is still contested

It is believed to pre-date European contact with Indigenous Australians by up to a century, when South-East Asian fishers discovered and began harvesting trepang — or sea cucumbers — along Australia's coast. 

"This one is special, because Dian sings in Indigenous language as well — in Makassan language."