Writing in the Sand

The epic story of legendary band Yothu Yindi and 'Treaty', the song that gave voice to a movementWITH INTRODUCTIONS BY YALMAY YUNUPINGU & WITIYANA MARIKA Sometimes a musical revolution can erupt from the most unlikely of places. Long before they were ARIA Hall of Fame inductees, Yothu Yindi were a bunch of Yolngu (Aboriginal people of East Arnhem Land) and balanda (non-Indigenous) mates rocking out in the remote Top End. Soon they were creating some of the coolest new music in the country, splicing traditional sounds with electric, and spreading a message of unity. Then, after singer Mandawuy Yunupiu penned the hit song 'Treaty' with Paul Kelly and Peter Garrett, and a remix dropped in 1991, Yothu Yindi shot out of Arnhem Land and into the hearts of music lovers across Australia and the world. Writing in the Sand, by Yothu Yindi's authorised biographer, Matt Garrick, is the epic story of one of Australia's most original bands and how 'Treaty' gave voice to Indigenous Australia's hard-f