Yothu Yindi
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.
Yothu Yindi
Swamp Jockeys (Todd Williams, Michael Wyatt, Cal Williams, Stuart Kellaway, Andrew Beletty) – the Aboriginal members' group was unnamed) Mandawuy Yunupingu, Witiyana Marika, Milkayngu Mununggurr
Yolngu homelands, Northern Territory, Australia
1985–present
Mushroom, Hollywood
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.
Career[edit]
1986–1990: Early years[edit]
Swamp Jockeys were formed in 1985 by balanda (European/non-Aboriginal people) Todd Williams songwriter and lead singer, Michael Wyatt, songwriter and lead singer, Andrew Belletty on drums, Stuart Kellaway on bass guitar and Cal Williams on lead guitar.[1] On their tour of Arnhem Land, in Australia's Northern Territory, they were supported by a Yolngu band composed of Witiyana Marika on manikay (traditional vocals), bilma (ironwood clapsticks) and dance, Milkayngu Mununggurr on yidaki (didgeridoo), Gurrumul 'The Guru' Yunupingu on keyboards, guitar and percussion, and Bakamana Yunupingu on vocals and guitar. They united to form Yothu Yindi (pronounced /ˌjɒθuː ˈjɪndiː/).[2][1][3] 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.[2][3] Michael Wyatt, from the Swamp Jockeys, went on to become Yothu Yindi's pilot and with Stephen Johnson made Yothu Yindi's multiple award winning music video clips. He was also stage manager on Australian tours and their tour to the New York's World Music festival.
Bakamana Yunupingu was a tertiary student studying to become a teacher. He became principal at his own Yirrkala Community School, and touring by Yothu Yindi was restricted to school holidays in the band's early years.[2][3] In August 1988 they performed in Townsville, Queensland, at the South Pacific Festival of Arts. The next month they represented Australia in Seoul, South Korea at the Cultural Olympics. Bart Willoughby (ex-No Fixed Address, Coloured Stone) joined on drums in late 1988 and Yothu Yindi toured USA and Canada as support act to Midnight Oil. Upon their return to Australia, they were signed to Mushroom Records, and with Leszek Karski (ex-Supercharge) producing, recorded their debut single "Mainstream", released in March 1989. It was followed by debut album Homeland Movement in May; a second single "Djäpana (Sunset Dreaming)" was released in August.[2][1] Neither their singles nor album had any major chart success.[4] Yothu Yindi toured with Neil Young in Australia, then head-lined in Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong. In 1990 they toured New Zealand with Tracy Chapman, and then performed in festivals in the UK.[2][3] In 1990 five clans of the Yolngu formed the Yothu Yindi Foundation to promote Yulngu cultural development.[5][6] Chairman of the foundation was Galarrwuy Yunupingu,[6] Mandawuy's older brother, a Yolngu clan leader and sometimes a member of Yothu Yindi on bilma and guitar.[2][3][5] Galarrwuy had been named Australian of the Year in 1978 for his work for Aboriginal communities.[6] 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, to make their didgeridoos, which also brought his skills to the attention of the world.[7]
1991–1992: "Treaty" and Tribal Voice[edit]
In 1988, as part of Bicentennial celebrations, Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke visited the Northern Territory for the Barunga festival where he was presented with a statement of Aboriginal political objectives by Galarrwuy Yunupingu and Wenten Rubuntja.[8] Hawke responded to the Barunga Statement with a promise that a treaty would be concluded with Indigenous Australians by 1990.[8] 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.[2] 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:
Collaborations and impact[edit]
Many other musicians apart from Paul Kelly have collaborated or performed with Yothu Yindi, including Jimmy Barnes, Billy Thorpe, members of the Grateful Dead,[46] Midnight Oil, Neil Young, Santana,[47] and Emma Donovan.[48]
Dhapanbal Yunupiŋu, daughter of Mandawuy Yunupiŋu, is a singer-songwriter, who credits the band with providing inspiration to many young Yolngu musicians. Among these are the band King Stingray, whose line-up includes Mandawuy's nephew, Yirrŋa Yunupingu, as lead vocalist, and Stuart Kellaway's son Roy Kellaway on guitar.[46]