Yothu Yindi ( Yolngu for "child and mother", pronounced ) are an Australian musical group with

Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...

and '' balanda'' (non-Aboriginal) members, formed in 1986 as a merger of two bands formed in 1985 – a white rock group called the Swamp Jockeys and an unnamed Aboriginal folk group. The Aboriginal members came from Yolngu homelands near

Yirrkala Yirrkala is a small community in East Arnhem Region, Northern Territory, Australia, southeast of the large mining town of Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Nhulunbuy, on the Gove Peninsula in Arnhem Land. Its population comprises predominantly ...

on the

Gove Peninsula The Gove Peninsula is at the northeastern corner of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. The peninsula became strategically important during World War II when a Royal Australian Air Force base was constructed at what is now Gove ...

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia, with the term still in use. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territory capital, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compan ...

. Founding members included Stuart Kellaway on

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

, Cal Williams on

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

, Andrew Belletty (

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...

s), Witiyana Marika on ''

manikay Indigenous music of Australia comprises the music of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, intersecting with their cultural and ceremonial observances, through the millennia of their individual and collective historie ...

'' (traditional vocals), ''bilma'' (ironwood

clapstick Clapsticks, also spelt clap sticks and also known as bilma, bimli, clappers, musicstick or just stick, are a traditional Australian Aboriginal instrument. They serve to maintain rhythm in voice chants, often as part of an Aboriginal ceremony ...

s) and dance, Milkayngu Mununggurr on ''yidaki'' (

didgeridoo The didgeridoo (; also spelt didjeridu, among other variants) is a wind instrument, played with vibrating lips to produce a continuous drone while using a special breathing technique called circular breathing. The didgeridoo was developed by ...

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (22 January 1971 – 25 July 2017), commonly known as Gurrumul and also referred to since his death as Dr G. Yunupingu, was an Aboriginal Australian musician of the Yolŋu peoples. A multi-instrumentalist, he played ...

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

and

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

, past lead singer

Mandawuy Yunupingu Mandawuy Djarrtjuntjun Yunupingu , formerly Tom Djambayang Bakamana Yunupingu; skin name Gudjuk; also known as Dr Yunupingu (17 September 1956 – 2 June 2013) was an Australian musician and educator. An Aboriginal, in 1989 he became assista ...

and present Yirrnga Yunupingu on vocals and guitar. The band combines aspects of both musical cultures. Their sound varies from traditional Aboriginal songs to modern pop and rock songs, where they blended the typical instruments associated with pop/rock bands, such as guitars and drums, with the traditional ''yidaki'' and ''bilma''. They adapted traditional Yolngu dance performances to accompany their music. More broadly, they promoted mutual respect and understanding in the coming together of different cultures. Yothu Yindi's most widely known song, "

Treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations An international organization or international o ...

", peaked at No. 11 on the ARIA singles charts in 1991 and the related album ''

Tribal Voice ''Tribal Voice'' is the second studio album by Yothu Yindi, released in September 1991 on the Mushroom Records label. The album peaked at number 4 on the ARIA Charts and was certified 2× Platinum. At the 1992 ARIA Awards Yothu Yindi won ARIA ...

'' peaked at No. 4 on the ARIA albums charts.Peaks of albums in Australia: * All except noted: * ''Homeland Movement'', ''Birrkuta – Wild Honey'' and ''Garma'': The group established the Yothu Yindi Foundation in 1990 to promote Yolngu cultural development, including from 1999 producing the annual

Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures The Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures (Garma) is Australia's largest Indigenous cultural gathering, taking place over four days each August in northeast Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory, Australia. Hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, ...

and from May 2007 running the ''Dilthan Yolngunha'' (Healing Place). Chairman of the foundation is

Galarrwuy Yunupingu Galarrwuy Yunupingu (born 30 June 1948), also known as James Galarrwuy Yunupingu and Dr Yunupingu, is a leader in the Aboriginal Australian community, and has been involved in the fight for Indigenous land rights in Australia throughout his c ...

. He is Mandawuy's older brother, a Yolgnu clan leader and sometimes a member of Yothu Yindi on ''bilma'' and guitar. Galarrwuy had been named

Australian of the Year The Australian of the Year is a national award conferred on an Australian citizen by the National Australia Day Council, a not-for-profit Australian Governmentowned social enterprise. Similar awards are also conferred at the State and Territo ...

in 1978 for his work for Aboriginal communities and Mandawuy was Australian of the Year for 1992 for his work with Yothu Yindi. In December 2012, the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...

(ARIA) inducted the band into the

ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

, as part of the

ARIA Music Awards of 2012 The 26th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) were a series of award ceremonies which included the 2012 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fin ...

Career

1986–1990: Early years

Swamp Jockeys were formed in 1985 by ''balanda'' (European/non-Aboriginal people) Andrew Belletty on drums, Stuart Kellaway on bass guitar and Cal Williams on lead guitar. On their tour of

, in Australia's

, they were supported by a Yolngu band composed of Witiyana Marika on ''manikay'' (traditional vocals), ''bilma'' (ironwood

s) and dance, Milkayngu Mununggurr on ''yidaki'' (

), Gurrumul 'The Guru' Yunupingu on keyboards, guitar and percussion, and Bakamana Yunupingu on vocals and guitar. They united to form Yothu Yindi (pronounced ), ''yothu yindi'' is a Yolngu ''matha'' (Yolngu language) kinship term for "child and mother". The band combines aspects of both musical cultures. Their sound varies from traditional Aboriginal songs to modern pop and rock songs in which they blend the typical instruments of pop/rock bands, such as guitars and drums, with the traditional ''yidaki'' and ''bilma''.They have adapted traditional Yolngu dance performances to accompany their music. More broadly they promote mutual respect and understanding of different cultures. Bakamana Yunupingu was a tertiary student studying to become a teacher. He became principal at his own

Community School, and touring by Yothu Yindi was restricted to school holidays in the band's early years. In August 1988 they performed in

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, at the South Pacific Festival of Arts. The next month they represented Australia in

Seoul, South Korea Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...

at the Cultural Olympics.

Bart Willoughby Bart Willoughby (born 12 September 1960) is an Indigenous Australian musician, noted for his pioneering fusion of reggae with Indigenous Australian musical influences, and for his contribution to growth of Indigenous music in Australia. A Pitj ...

(ex-

No Fixed Address In law, no fixed abode or without fixed abode is not having a fixed geographical location as a residence, commonly referred to as no fixed address. This is applicable to several groups: * People who have a home, but which is not always in the ...

Coloured Stone Coloured Stone is an Aboriginal Australian band whose members originate from the Koonibba Mission, west of Ceduna, South Australia. The band performs using guitar, bass, drums, and Aboriginal instruments – didjeridu, bundawuthada (gong ston ...

) joined on drums in late 1988 and Yothu Yindi toured USA and Canada as support act to

Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by ...

. Upon their return to Australia, they were signed to

Mushroom Records Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival Mu ...

, and with Leszek Karski (ex-Supercharge) producing, recorded their debut single "Mainstream", released in March 1989. It was followed by debut album ''

Homeland Movement ''Homeland Movement'' is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Yothu Yindi that was released in April 1989 on the Mushroom Records label. The album peaked at number 59 on the ARIA Chart in 1992. Background and release Following a tou ...

'' in May; a second single " Djäpana (Sunset Dreaming)" was released in August. Neither their singles nor album had any major chart success. Yothu Yindi toured with

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

in Australia, then head-lined in Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong. In 1990 they toured New Zealand with

Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. Chapman is best known for her hit singles "Fast Car" and "Give Me One Reason". Chapman was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she released ...

, and then performed in festivals in the UK. In 1990 five clans of the Yolngu formed the Yothu Yindi Foundation to promote Yulngu cultural development. Chairman of the foundation is

, Mandawuy's older brother, a Yolngu clan leader and sometimes a member of Yothu Yindi on ''bilma'' and guitar. Galarrwuy had been named

in 1978 for his work for Aboriginal communities. Around this time, a relative of Bakamana who bore the same name died, and he therefore changed his first name to Mandawuy, in line with Yolngu tradition. The band commissioned their friend and relative (married to Gurrumul's sister), master yiḏaki-maker

Djalu Gurruwiwi Djalu Gurruwiwi, also written Djalu ( – 12 May 2022), was a Yolngu man from Arnhem Land in northern Australia, known worldwide for his skill as a player, maker and spiritual keeper of the yiḏaki (didgeridoo). He was also a respected arti ...

, to make their didgeridoos, which also brought his skills to the attention of the world.

1991–1992: "Treaty" and ''Tribal Voice''

In 1988, as part of

Bicentennial __NOTOC__ A bicentennial or bicentenary is the two-hundredth anniversary of a part, or the celebrations thereof. It may refer to: Europe *French Revolution bicentennial, commemorating the 200th anniversary of 14 July 1789 uprising, celebrated ...

celebrations, Australian Prime Minister

Bob Hawke Robert James Lee Hawke (9 December 1929 – 16 May 2019) was an Australian politician and union organiser who served as the 23rd prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (A ...

visited the Northern Territory for the Barunga festival where he was presented with a statement of Aboriginal political objectives by

and

Wenten Rubuntja Wenten Rubuntja (c. 1923 – 2005) was an Australian artist, Aboriginal rights activist, and historian. Wenten was born at Bart's Creek, about 56 km north of Alice Springs. A meeting of representatives of Central Australian Aboriginal co ...

. Hawke responded to the Barunga Statement with a promise that a treaty would be concluded with

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

by 1990. By 1991, Yothu Yindi were Hughie Benjamin on drums, Sophie Garrkali and Julie Gungunbuy as dancers, Kellaway, Marika, Mununggurr, Gurrumul Yunupingu, Makuma Yunupingu on ''yidaki'', vocals, ''bilma'', Mandawuy Yunupingu, Mangatjay Yunupingu as a dancer. Mandawuy, with his older brother Galarrwuy, wanted a song to highlight the lack of progress on the treaty between Aboriginal peoples and the federal government. Mandawuy recalls: "Treaty" was written by Australian musician Paul Kelly and Yothu Yindi members Mandawuy Yunupingu, Kellaway, Williams, Gurrumul Yunupingu, Mununggurr and Marika. The initial release had little interest, but when Melbourne-based dance remixers Filthy Lucre's Gavin Campbell and Robert Goodge adapted the song, their version peaked at No. 11 on the

(ARIA) singles

charts A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent tabul ...

by September. The song contains lyrics in both English and in Yolngu ''matha''. It was accompanied by a video showing band members performing vocals, music, and dance. Success for the single was transferred to the related album ''

'' which peaked at No. 4 on the ARIA albums charts, The album, produced by Mark Moffatt for Mushroom Records, was released in September 1991. Mandawuy Yunupingu took leave of absence from his duties as principal to tour and promote the single and album. Other singles from the album were a re-released " Djäpana (Sunset Dreaming)" which peaked at No. 13 in 1992 and "

" which peaked at number 51. At the 1992

ARIA Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music The music of Australia has ...

Yothu Yindi won awards for

ARIA Award for Best Cover Art The ARIA Music Award for Best Cover Art, is an award presented within the Artisan Awards at the annual ARIA Music Awards. The ARIA Awards recognise "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", and have been given by the Aus ...

for ''Tribal Voice'' by Louise Beach and Mushroom Art;

ARIA Award for Engineer of the Year The ARIA Music Award for Engineer of the Year, is an award presented within the Artisan Awards at the annual ARIA Music Awards. The ARIA Awards recognise "the many achievements of Australian artists across all music genres", and have been given ...

for "Maralitja" (''maralitja'' is Yolngu ''matha'' for crocodile man – one of Mandawuy's tribal names), "Dharpa" (''dharpa'' is tree), "Treaty", "Treaty (Filthy Lucre remix)" and "Tribal Voice" by David Price, Ted Howard, Greg Henderson and Simon Polinski;

ARIA Award for Best Indigenous Release The ARIA Music Award for Best Indigenous Release was an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards. It was presented from 1987 through to 1998. Originally titled Best Indigenous Record in 1987. It was renamed Best Aboriginal/Islander Release i ...

for ''Tribal Voice'';

ARIA Award for Song of the Year The ARIA Music Award for Single of the Year/Song of the Year, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Austral ...

and Single of the Year for "Treaty. Both "Treaty" in 1992 and " Djäpana (Sunset Dreaming)" in 1993 charted on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

singles charts, with "Treaty" peaking at No. 6, ''Tribal Voice'' peaked at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Top World Music Albums chart in 1992. In October 1992, then Prime Minister

Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...

's government awarded Yothu Yindi with a $30,000 grant. The money was used to travel to New York, where they performed at the United Nations for the launch of International Year for the World's Indigenous People. Mandawuy Yunupingu was named

by the Keating government on 26 January 1993. His older brother, Galarrwuy had been named Australian of the Year in 1978 for his work for Aboriginal communities. In 2009 'Treaty' was added to the

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...

's Sounds of Australia Registry.

1993–2000: Continued success

At the 1993 ARIA Awards, Yothu Yindi won 'Best Video', directed by

Stephen Maxwell Johnson Stephen Maxwell Johnson is an Australian filmmaker, best known for his films ''Yolngu Boy'' (2001) and ''High Ground'' (2020). He is also known for directing Yothu Yindi's music videos in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Early life and educatio ...

, and 'Best Indigenous Release' for " Djäpana (Sunset Dreaming)" and 'Engineer of the Year' for Greg Henderson's work on "Djäpana" and "Tribal Voice". Yothu Yindi's third album ''

Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

'' was released in November 1993, the line-up included Mandawuy, Gurrumul, Makuna and Mangatjay Yunupingu, Marika, Williams, Kellaway, Benjamin and Munumggurr; and new members

Banula Marika Banula (David) Marika is an Aboriginal Australian dancer, actor, singer and performer from Yirrkala in North East Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia. The son of Roy Marika, he is a member of the Rirratjingu clan of the Yolng ...

on vocals and dance, Bunimburr Marika on ''yidaki'', Natalie Gillespie on vocals, Jodie Cockatoo Creed on vocals and clan leader Galarrwuy Yunupingu on ''bilma'' and vocals. After intense touring in 1994, Williams left Yothu Yindi and was replaced by Colin Simpson on guitar, they added Ben Hakalitz (ex-

Not Drowning Waving Not Drowning, Waving (styled as not drowning, waving) were a musical group formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1983 by David Bridie and John Phillips. Their music combined elements of rock and roll, rock, ambient music and world music; their lyrics ...

) on drums and Baruka Tau-Matagu on keyboards. Gurrumul Yunupingu had left by 1995 to live full-time on

Elcho Island Elcho Island, known to its traditional owners as Galiwin'ku (Galiwinku) is an island off the coast of Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located at the southern end of the Wessel Islands group located in the East Arnhe ...

, he later formed

Saltwater Band Saltwater Band are an Indigenous roots band from Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island, around 560 kilometres from Darwin. The members are Yolngu and they sing mostly in Yolngu languages. Their songs are a mixture of traditional songs and reggae/ska influe ...

to record three albums, and in 2008 released his self-titled solo album. Yothu Yindi's fourth album '' Birrkuta'' (''birrkuta'' means wild honey) was released in August 1996. "

I Am Australian "I Am Australian" (or "We Are Australian") is a popular Australian song written in 1987 by Bruce Woodley of the Seekers and Dobe Newton of The Bushwackers (band), the Bushwackers. Its lyrics are filled with many historic and cultural references ...

" is a popular song written in 1987 by

Dobe Newton Dobe Newton OAM (born 14 July 1948) is an Australian musician and member of folk and country music group the Bushwackers from 1973. He co-wrote the patriotic song "I Am Australian" in 1987 with Bruce Woodley. For his service to the performing ...

The Bushwackers The Bushwhackers are a professional wrestling tag team who competed first as the New Zealand Kiwis and then as The Sheepherders during their 36-year career as a tag team. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promotions, ...

and

Bruce Woodley Bruce William Woodley (born 25 July 1942) is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was a founding member of the successful folk-pop group The Seekers, and co-composer of the songs "I Am Australian," "Red Rubber Ball," and Simon & Gar ...

The Seekers The Seekers were an Australian folk-influenced pop quartet, originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States. They were ...

. It was released as a single in 1997 by trio

Judith Durham Judith Durham (born Judith Mavis Cock; 3 July 1943 – 5 August 2022) was an Australian singer, songwriter and musician who became the lead singer of the Australian folk music group the Seekers in 1963. The group became the first Australian p ...

of The Seekers,

Russell Hitchcock Russell Charles Hitchcock (born 15 June 1949) is an Australian musician and lead vocalist of the soft rock duo Air Supply. Early life Born in Melbourne, Hitchcock attended South Brunswick State School, and later studied at Princes Hill High ...

from

Air Supply Air Supply is a soft rock duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975. It consists of Englishman Graham Russell (vocals, guitar) and Australian Russell Hitchcock (vocals). They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight top-five hit ...

and Yothu Yindi's

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

Australia and it peaked at No. 17 on the ARIA Singles Charts in June. Yothu Yindi's fifth album '' One Blood'' was released in 1999 and included "Treaty '98". They sponsored the Yothu Yindi Foundation, which produces the annual

celebrating Yolngu culture from 1999, and their sixth album '' Garma'' was released in 2000, with Cal Williams returning on guitars. In 2000, Yothu Yindi performed at the closing ceremony of the

Sydney Olympic Games The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

. On 9 August 2000, 30-year-old Betsy Yunupingu was kicked in the head. She subsequently died, Yothu Yindi band member Gavin Makuma Yunupingu was found guilty of "committing a dangerous act causing death" and in June 2002 he was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment at Berrimah Jail, Darwin. Gavin is the son of Galarrwuy and nephew of Mandawuy.

2001–2020

In May 2001 the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th-anniversary celebrations, named "Treaty" as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time. In 2003 Yothu Yindi toured through Northern Territory schools with Mandawuy Yunupingu, ''yidaki'' players Gapanbulu Yunupingu and Nicky Yunupingu, and Kellaway using songs, storytelling and open discussions to inspire and encourage some of Australia's most vulnerable young people to attend school and stay healthy. The Yothu Yindi Foundation in May 2007 established the ''Dilthan Yolngunha'' (Healing Place) using traditional healing practices and mainstream medicines. On 23 July 2008 a 23-year-old woman was stabbed numerous times; "yidaki" player N. Yunupingu, who was described by Northern Territory police as the offender, was later found dead by hanging. N. Yunupingu was the nephew of both Galarrwuy and Mandawuy Yunupingu, and, as members of Yothu Yindi, they had just played a concert for Prime Minister

Kevin Rudd Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...

some hours before the stabbing of the woman, who was admitted to hospital, and N. Yunupingu's subsequent death. In 2009, News.com.au reported that Yothu Yindi lead singer Mandawuy Yunupingu needed a kidney transplant. Yunupingu said he drank up to four cartons of alcohol a day. "Alcohol was a big influence in my life. I didn't know what harm it did to my body. Before I knew, it was too late," he said. At the

, Yothu Yindi were inducted into the

, with

Peter Garrett Peter Robert Garrett (born 16 April 1953) is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil. As a performer he is known for his sign ...

(then a former member of

) and Paul Kelly introducing the group. ARIA Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment Australia and New Zealand,

Denis Handlin Denis Anthony Handlin AO (born 1951) is an Australian former entrepreneur and business executive who served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Entertainment Australia and New Zealand and President of Sony Music Entertainmen ...

said "On behalf of the ARIA Board it is with great honour that we induct Yothu Yindi into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Yothu Yindi created a special place in the Nation's heart through their passionate and ground breaking music. Their achievements remain a lasting heritage in both our community and overseas and we look forward to celebrating their induction at the ARIAs in is what is sure to be a magic moment". The group were joined by Garrett, Kelly,

Jessica Mauboy Jessica Hilda Mauboy (born 4 August 1989) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the fourth season of ''Australian Idol'', where she was runner-up and subseq ...

and

Dan Sultan Daniel Leo Sultan (born 1983) is an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, actor and author. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 he won ARIA Award for Best Male Artist, Best Male Artist and ARIA Award for Best Blues and Root ...

to perform "Treaty" at the ceremony. In 2019 Double J"s Dan Condon described this as one of "7 great performances from the history of the ARIA Awards." The "best of" compilation, ''

Healing Stone (The Best of Yothu Yindi) ''Healing Stone (The Best of Yothu Yindi)'' is the first greatest hits album by Australian band, Yothu Yindi. It was released in November 2012 to coincide with the band's ARIA Hall of Fame induction, and it peaked at number 88 on the ARIA Charts ...

'', was released in November 2012 which included the new track "Healing Stone", produced by

Andrew Farriss Andrew Charles Farriss (born 27 March 1959) is an Australian rock musician and multi-instrumentalist best known as the keyboardist, backing vocalist, and main composer for rock band INXS. Farriss released his debut studio album in 2021. Care ...

of INXS. On 2 June 2013 lead singer M. Yunupingu died of

renal failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

. In line with Yolngu cultural protocols, on 4 June 2013 the family requested that the first names of the deceased no longer be used until further notice. In 2015 they collaborated with rock-reggae band

East Journey East Journey are a rock/reggae band from North East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. They combined modern and traditional music and sing in both English and Yolŋu. History The band formed in 2010, and their debut album ''Guwak'' was released ...

on a project called The Genesis Project, which included an EP and a performance at the

National Indigenous Music Awards 2015 The National Indigenous Music Awards 2015 are the 12th annual National Indigenous Music Awards. The nominations were announced on 10 July 2015 and the awards ceremony was held on 22 July 2015. For the first time in National Indigenous Music Aw ...

Yothu Yindi & The Treaty Project

In 2017, inspired by the 25th anniversary remix of " Treaty (Filthy Lucre remix)", some of the original members of Yothu Yindi, along with several new artists, created an

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

project entitled Yothu Yindi & The Treaty Project (YYATTP). Longtime members Witiyana Marika, Malngay Yunupingu and Stuart Kellaway were joined by blues singer

Yirrmal Yirrmal Marika (born 1993), known mononymous person, mononymously Yirrmal, is an Indigenous Australian vocalist. A Yolngu man, his music features traditional sounds and elements of Yolŋu languages, Yolŋu music. Early life Yirrmal Marika was ...

(Marika's son), vocalists Yirrnga Yunupingu and Constantina Bush (aka Kamahi Djordon King), multi-instrumentalist Ania Reynolds (director of

Circus Oz Circus Oz is a contemporary circus company based in Australia, collectively owned by its Membership, founded in 1977. Its shows incorporate theatre, satire, rock 'n' roll and a uniquely Australian humour. History Early years Circus Oz was inco ...

) and guitarist Megan Bernard, while the Filthy Lucre duo Nick Coleman and Gavin Campbell worked on mixing and

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

. The group played on ABC Radio's ''The Friday Revue'' and at the

Homeground Message Sticks Festival, also known for some time as Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival, was an arts festival celebrating the culture of Aboriginal Australians, based at the Sydney Opera House, between 1999 and 2013. It focused on film for ...

festival at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

, which celebrates Indigenous culture (November 2017), and created a hip hop version of ''Treaty'' with

Baker Boy Danzal James Baker (born 10 October 1996), known professionally as Baker Boy, is a Yolngu rapper, dancer, artist, and actor. Baker Boy is known for performing original hip-hop songs incorporating both English and Yolŋu Matha and is one of ...

. Inn January 2018 they were booked to play at the

Enmore Theatre The Enmore Theatre is a theatre and entertainment venue in Sydney, Australia. It was built in 1908. It is located at 118–132 Enmore Road in Newtown, in the inner west of Sydney's suburbs. It was first opened in 1912 as a photo-play theatre. I ...

with The Herd. They also played

Strawberry Fields Festival The Strawberry Fields Festival was a rock music festival held at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport Park) in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, about 100 kilometers east of Toronto, between August 7 and the early morning hours of August 10 ...

Queenscliff Music Festival Queenscliff Music Festival is a live music festival held in the town of Queenscliff, located on the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. The festival began in 1997 and is held annually on the last weekend of November. According to its webs ...

at the opening night of the

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, bet ...

, continuing live performances into at least March 2019, including a tour to New Zealand, playing on

Waitangi Day Waitangi Day ( mi, Te Rā o Waitangi), the national day of New Zealand, marks the anniversary of the initial signing – on 6 February 1840 – of the Treaty of Waitangi, which is regarded as the founding document of the nation. The first Wait ...

2019 in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

. The group have been described as a "fluid collective", with other musicians quite often joining them on stage.

Shane Howard Shane Michael Howard (born 26 January 1955) is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist, he was the mainstay of folk rock group Goanna (1977–85, 1998) which had hit singles with " Solid Rock" (September 1982, No. 3) and "Let the F ...

, frontman of the band

Goanna A goanna is any one of several species of lizards of the genus '' Varanus'' found in Australia and Southeast Asia. Around 70 species of ''Varanus'' are known, 25 of which are found in Australia. This varied group of carnivorous reptiles ranges ...

, has regularly played with them. They released the Yothu Yindi song "Mabo" for the first time as a single in April 2019.

2021–present

On 26 June 2021, Yothu Yindi played at the

Yarrapay Festival Yirrkala is a small community in East Arnhem Region, Northern Territory, Australia, southeast of the large mining town of Nhulunbuy, on the Gove Peninsula in Arnhem Land. Its population comprises predominantly Aboriginal Australians of the ...

, which was directed by Witiyana Marika, at Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre in

, along with the Andrew Gurruwiwi Band, Yirrmal, and

Members

Arranged alphabetically: *Andrew Belletty – drums *Hughie Benjamin – drums *Jodie Cockatoo Creed – vocals *Matt Cunliffe – keyboards *Sophie Garrkali – dancer *Natalie Gillespie – vocals *Julie Gungunbuy – dancer *Ben Hakalitz – drums *Robbie James – guitar *Stuart Kellaway – bass guitar *

– vocals, dance *Bunimburr Marika – ''yidaki'' (

) *

Witiyana Marika Witiyana Marika is an Aboriginal Australian musician, filmmaker, and Aboriginal elder, elder, known for being a founding member of the band Yothu Yindi and producer of the film ''High Ground (2020 film), High Ground''. Background Marika was bor ...

– ''manikay'' (traditional vocals), ''bilma'' (ironwood

s), dancer *Milkayngu Mununggurr – ''yidaki'' *Tom Neil – harmonica/ triangle player *Baruka Tau-Matagu – keyboards *Cal Williams – guitar *

– drums *

– vocals, ''bilma'', guitar *Gapanbulu Yunupingu – ''yidaki'' *Gavin Makuma Yunupingu – ''yidaki'', ''bilma'', vocals *

– keyboards, guitar, percussion, ''yidaki'', vocals (died 2017) *

– singer-songwriter, guitar (died 2013) *Malngay Kevin Yunupingu – ''yidaki'', ''bilma'', dancer, vocals *Mangatjay Yunupingu – dancer *Narripapa Nicky Yunupingu – ''yidaki'', dancer (died 2008) *Yunupingu Makuma Gurrumul Narripapa Mununggurr Yunupingu Marika, vocals

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Extended plays

Singles

Awards

* 1991 –

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission The Australian Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution of Australia, established in 1986 as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and renamed in 2008. It is a statutory body funded by, but opera ...

Songwriting Award for "Treaty".

ARIA Awards

Yothu Yindi has won eight

(ARIA)

Music Awards Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

from 14 nominations. In 2012 they were inducted into the

. , - , ,

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

, , ''

'' , , Best Indigenous Release , , , - , rowspan="6",

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

, , Louise Beach / Mushroom Art – ''

'' , , Best Cover Art , , , - , , ''

'' , , Best Indigenous Release , , , - , rowspan="2", "Treaty (Filthy Lucre Remix)" , , Best Video , , , - , , Single of the Year , , , - , , "Treaty" , , Song of the Year , , , - , , David Price, Ted Howard, Greg Henderson, Simon Polinski
(for "Maralitja", "Dharpa", "Treaty", "Treaty (Filthy Lucre Remix)", "Tribal Voice") , , Engineer of the Year , , , - , rowspan="3",

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

, , "Djapana" , , Best Indigenous Release , , , - , ,

– "Djapana" , , Best Video , , , - , , Greg Henderson – "Djapana", "Tribal Voice" , , Engineer of the Year , , , - , ,

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

, , ''

'' , , Best Indigenous Release , , , - , ,

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

, , "Dots on the Shells" (with Neil Finn) , , Best Indigenous Release , , , - , ,

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

, , ''

Birrkuta – Wild Honey ''Birrkuta – Wild Honey'' is the fourth studio album by Australian band, Yothu Yindi. It was released in November 1996 via Mushroom Records. It was co-produced by Lamar Lowder and Andrew Farriss. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, compa ...

'' , , Best Indigenous Release , , , - , ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, , Yothu Yindi , ,

, ,

Deadly Awards

The Deadly Awards The Deadly Awards, commonly known simply as The Deadlys, was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. The event was held from 1995 to 2013. Description T ...

, (commonly known simply as The Deadlys), was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. They ran from 1996 to 2013. , - , Deadly Awards 1997 , themselves , Band of the Year , , - ,

Deadly Awards 1999 Winners of The Deadlys Awards 1999, the awards were an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. Music *Excellence in Film or Theatrical Score: Tiddas (band), ...

, themselves , Band of the Year , , - ,

Deadly Awards 2000 The Deadlys Awards 2000, were an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. Music *Excellence In Film or Theatrical Score: Wesley Enoch - ''The Sunshine Club'' ...

, ''Garma'' , Album of the Year , , - ,

Deadly Awards 2001 The Deadlys Awards were an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. Music *Outstanding Contribution to Aboriginal Music: Gus Williams *Outstanding Contribut ...

, ''Yolngu Boy'' , Excellence in Film or Theatrical Score , , -

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the

Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were l ...

), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Yothu Yindi won three awards in that time. (wins only) , - , rowspan="3", 1992 , rowspan="3", Yothu Yindi , Rock Performer of the Year , , - , Australian Performer of the Year , , - , Australian Showbusiness Ambassador ,

References

External links

* {{Authority control APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners Indigenous Australian musical groups Northern Territory musical groups Yolngu ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Musical groups established in 1986 Musical groups disestablished in 2013 1986 establishments in Australia 2013 disestablishments in Australia Mushroom Records artists