He grew up practicing Christianity and living a traditional life in the remote area, hunting turtles with his father on a lipalipa (dug-out canoe), and with little contact with "balanda" (white people).
[6]As a young man Gurruwiwi lived on Galiwinku (Elcho Island), working as a lumberjack, cutting large trees by hand.
[6] After a period when he succumbed to the destructive effects of alcohol after it was introduced to the remote areas, he says he was visited by a spirit in gaol one night and "found Jesus".
Rirratjingu has applied for funds to help move the residents to Nhulunbuy, Gunyangara and Yirrkala, but Djalu and his son Larry were reluctant to leave Birritjimi.
[4] His son Larry Larrtjaŋga Gurruwiwi is the future spiritual keeper of the yiḏaki[9] and custodian of the Yolngu songlines and healing techniques passed down by his father.
[8] Larry, Jason and Vernon, in their new band, Malawurr, performed in Melbourne in June 2019 to help raise funds for the new film, Morning Star (see below) ahead of their first European tour, playing at WOMAD in the UK and other festivals in England and France.
[5] He had the ability to find adequate material for the yidaki by just walking through the woods and allowing his connection to nature to choose the correct log for making the instrument.
[18] Gurruwiwi was a senior member of his clan, having learned to play and make the yiḏaki from his father, Monyu, an important leader and warrior.
[1] In 1986, his reputation as craftsman was given a world stage when several of his friends and relatives formed the musical group Yothu Yindi, and commissioned Gurruwiwi to make their yiḏakis.
In the clan legends, the Wititj was said to create thunder and lightning as it moved across the land, but is also associated with the calm freshwater systems where the spirits reside, among water lilies and palm trees.
It was directed by British filmmaker Ben Strunin, and Djalu's son Larry Gurruwiwi, and multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Gotye are in the cast.
The film will also include Larry's participation in groundbreaking medical research, "to quantify the effects of the traditional vibrational sound healing that he was taught by Djalu".
[27] Guruwiwi won the 2015 National Indigenous Music Award in the Traditional Song of the Year category, with East Journey, for "Mokuy & Bonba".
He used to hold annual yidaki workshops at the Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures for advanced students, and produced two instructional albums on how to play the instrument.