Mandawuy Yunupingu, Australian of the year and the first Aboriginal contemporary rock star, is wearing the mantle of success exceptionally easily on his shoulders.Relaxed and laid back, the Yothu Yindi vocalist explained that he was in Adelaide yesterday , like the rest of the Womadelaide audience, for an opportunity to see Peter Gabriel.

"I have always been enthusiastic for an opportunity to meet up with Gabriel ". he said at Botanic Park yesterday. "He's a hero of mine in terms of getting this huge thing, Womad, set up and he's got a view on how music is :music is healing."

    Gabriel , the architect of Womad, is in Adelaide until tomorrow , for his first and only Australian gigs and on the eve of a major international tour .

"He's got our music out there into the forefront of change and thats been really good ,and treating it as equal to any other music in the world. " Yunupingu said .