Mandawuy Yunupingu
Encyclopedia
Mandawuy Yunupingu born 17 September 1956, is an Aboriginal Australian musician
, most notable for being the front man of the band Yothu Yindi
.
, an Aboriginal Reserve
in the northeastern part of the Northern Territory
of Australia
. He is a member of the Yolngu
people. His father's name is Mangurrawut Yunupingu. His skin name was Gudjuk, which means hawk
. His name was changed to Mandawuy when a family member with the same name died, in line with Yolngu custom. Yunupingu means "rock that stands against time".
He is the younger brother of Galarrwuy Yunupingu
, a senior elder of Arnhem Land, who was Australian of the Year in 1978 and remains a force in Australian politics. One of his sisters is the artist Gulumbu Yunupingu
.
in 1988. In 1989 he became assistant principal of the Yirrkala Community School. In 1990 he took over as principal of that school, becoming the first Aboriginal principal in Australia. He held this position until late 1991, leaving to pursue his career with Yothu Yindi.
in 1986. He is the lead singer and most prominent personality of the band, and he also plays guitar. The name Yothu Yindi means "child and mother". It refers to the kinship of north-east Arnhem Land.
The band is most famous for the song "Treaty", which reached number 1 on the Australian charts and stayed there for a total of 22 weeks. The song contains words from Gujamati, an indigenous language.
Yunupingu strives to achieve a better understanding of Aboriginal culture by balanda (non-Aboriginal people), and is a prominent advocate of reconciliation between white and Aboriginal Australians.
for 1992 by the National Australia Day Council. In April 1998 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Queensland University of Technology
, "in recognition of his significant contribution to the education of Aboriginal children, and to greater understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians."
, which in turn has contributed to advanced renal failure
. He now receives haemodialysis three times a week in Darwin
.
He has also participated in traditional healing practices. His sister Gulumbu is one of a group of senior Yolngu women who have set up a healing place with the support of the Yothu Yindi Foundation. Yunupingu has been one of its first patients.
His nephew Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
played in Yothu Yindi, and has also embarked on a solo career.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, most notable for being the front man of the band Yothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi are an Australian band with Aboriginal and balanda members formed in 1986. Aboriginal members come from Yolngu homelands near Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula in Northern Territory's Arnhem Land...
.
Early life
He was born in Yirrkala in Arnhem LandArnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
, an Aboriginal Reserve
Protected areas of the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory contains 95 separate Protected Areas with a total area of 53,505 km² . Ten of these are National parks, totalling 19,622 km² . Four are Aboriginal National Parks, totalling 5,315 km²...
in the northeastern part of the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He is a member of the Yolngu
Yolngu
The Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...
people. His father's name is Mangurrawut Yunupingu. His skin name was Gudjuk, which means hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
. His name was changed to Mandawuy when a family member with the same name died, in line with Yolngu custom. Yunupingu means "rock that stands against time".
He is the younger brother of Galarrwuy Yunupingu
Galarrwuy Yunupingu
Galarrwuy YunupinguAM is a leader in the Australian Indigenous community, and has been involved in the fight for Land Rights throughout his career...
, a senior elder of Arnhem Land, who was Australian of the Year in 1978 and remains a force in Australian politics. One of his sisters is the artist Gulumbu Yunupingu
Gulumbu Yunupingu
Gulumbu Yunupingu is an Aboriginal artist and women's leader from the Yolngu people who live in Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia. She is a member of the Gumatj clan and speaks the Gumatj language. She was born between 1943 and 1947 in Biranybirany, in North-east Arnhem Land...
.
Early career
Yunupingu was the first Aboriginal person from Arnhem Land to gain a university degree, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Deakin UniversityDeakin University
Deakin University is an Australian public university with nearly 40,000 higher education students in 2010. It receives more than A$600 million in operating revenue annually, and controls more than A$1.3 billion in assets. It received more than A$35 million in research income in 2009 and had 835...
in 1988. In 1989 he became assistant principal of the Yirrkala Community School. In 1990 he took over as principal of that school, becoming the first Aboriginal principal in Australia. He held this position until late 1991, leaving to pursue his career with Yothu Yindi.
Yothu Yindi
He co-founded the Aboriginal band Yothu YindiYothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi are an Australian band with Aboriginal and balanda members formed in 1986. Aboriginal members come from Yolngu homelands near Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula in Northern Territory's Arnhem Land...
in 1986. He is the lead singer and most prominent personality of the band, and he also plays guitar. The name Yothu Yindi means "child and mother". It refers to the kinship of north-east Arnhem Land.
The band is most famous for the song "Treaty", which reached number 1 on the Australian charts and stayed there for a total of 22 weeks. The song contains words from Gujamati, an indigenous language.
Yunupingu strives to achieve a better understanding of Aboriginal culture by balanda (non-Aboriginal people), and is a prominent advocate of reconciliation between white and Aboriginal Australians.
Awards
On 26 January 1993, Yunupingu was named Australian of the YearAustralian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
for 1992 by the National Australia Day Council. In April 1998 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
, "in recognition of his significant contribution to the education of Aboriginal children, and to greater understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians."
Declining health
Yunupingu has suffered from chronic alcoholismAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, which in turn has contributed to advanced renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
. He now receives haemodialysis three times a week in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
.
He has also participated in traditional healing practices. His sister Gulumbu is one of a group of senior Yolngu women who have set up a healing place with the support of the Yothu Yindi Foundation. Yunupingu has been one of its first patients.
Personal life
He is married to fellow teacher Yalmay. He is a father of five daughters and has five grandsons.His nephew Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is an Indigenous Australian musician, who sings in the Yolngu language.He was born in Galiwin'ku , off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Australia about 350 miles from Darwin. He is from the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu and his mother from the Galpu nation...
played in Yothu Yindi, and has also embarked on a solo career.
Quotes
- "I am Mandawuy Yunupingu. I am a crocodile man. I am also the song writer and lead singer with the band Yothu Yindi. My name Yunupingu means a rock, a rock that stands against time. Fire is my clan symbol. Fire is my life force."
- "Racism is a disease in society. We're all equal. I don't care what their colour is, or religion. Just as long as they're human beings they're my buddies."
- "Australia will become a model for other global communities ... I see Australians coming together from all walks of life, especially indigenous and non-indigenous Australia, for a better tomorrow. We need to lock into one-another's point of view."
- "We must connect with old people, we need to tap into their wisdom. The hearts of Aboriginal women are crying for their culture."