Yothu Yindi | |
|---|---|
 Yothu Yindi perform at the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Australia | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Swamp Jockeys (Todd Williams, Michael Wyatt, Cal Williams, Stuart Kellaway, Andrew Beletty) – the Aboriginal members' group was unnamed) Mandawuy Yunupingu, Witiyana Marika, Milkayngu Mununggurr |
| Origin | Yolngu homelands, Northern Territory, Australia |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Mushroom, Hollywood |
| Members | See below |
| Website | yothuyindi |
Yothu Yindi (Yolngu for "child and mother", pronounced /jɒθuː ˈjɪndi/) are an Australian musical group with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members, formed in 1986 as a merger of two bands formed in 1985 – a white rock group called the Swamp Jockeys (Todd Williams, Michael Wyatt, Cal Williams, Stuart Kellaway, Andrew Bellety), and an unnamed Aboriginal folk group consisting of Mandawuy Yunupingu, Witiyana Marika, and Milkayngu Mununggur. The Aboriginal members came from Yolngu homelands near Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula in Northern Territory's Arnhem Land. Founding members included Stuart Kellaway on bass guitar, Cal Williams on lead guitar, Andrew Belletty on drums, Witiyana Marika on manikay (traditional vocals), bilma (ironwood clapsticks) and dance, Milkayngu Mununggurr on yidaki, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu on keyboards, guitar, and percussion, past lead singer Mandawuy Yunupingu 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 (didgeridoo) and bilma (clap stick). 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", peaked at No. 11 on the ARIA singles charts in 1991 and the related album Tribal Voice peaked at No. 4 on the ARIA albums charts.
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 and from May 2007 running the Dilthan Yolngunha (meaning "Healing Place"). Chairman of the foundation was Galarrwuy Yunupingu. He was Mandawuy's older brother, a Yolngu clan leader and sometimes a member of Yothu Yindi on bilma and guitar. Galarrwuy had been named Australian of the Year 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 (ARIA) inducted the band into the ARIA Hall of Fame, as part of the ARIA Music Awards of 2012. In 2023, the band were inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame.