Yothu Yindi

Yothu Yindi (Yolngu for "child and mother") are an Australian band with Aboriginal and balanda (non-Aboriginal) members formed in 1986. Aboriginal members come 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, Witiyana Marika on manikay (traditional vocals), bilma (ironwood clapsticks) and dance, Milkayngu Mununggurr on yidaki (didgeridoo), Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu on keyboards, guitar and percussion, and leader Mandawuy 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 blend the typical instruments associated with 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 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 second single from Tribal Voice was "Djäpana (Sunset Dreaming)" which peaked at No. 13 in 1992. Their debut album was Homeland Movement in 1988 on Mushroom Records, other albums are Tribal Voice in 1991, Freedom in 1993, Birrkuta - Wild Honey in 1996, One Blood in 1998 and Garma in 2000.

The group helped established the Yothu Yind Foundation in 1990 to promote Yolngu cultural development, including from 1999 producing the annual Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures and as from May 2007 running the Dilthan Yolngunha (Healing Place). Chairman of the foundation is Galarrwuy Yunupingu, 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 in 1978 for his work for Aboriginal communities and Mandawuy was Australian of the Year for 1992 for his work with Yothu Yindi. In October 2012 the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) announced that the band would be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, as part of the ARIA Music Awards of 2012.