By 1985 with Yunupingu on vocals and guitar, he formed a Yolngu band including Witiyana Marika on "manikay" (traditional vocals), "bilma" (ironwood clapsticks) and dance, Milkayngu Mununggurr on "yidaki" (didgeridoo), and Gurrumul Yunupingu – his nephew – on keyboards, guitar and percussion. The following year the Yolngu group combined with a "balanda" (non-Indigenous) group, Swamp Jockeys, which had Andrew Belletty on drums, Stuart Kellaway on bass guitar and Cal Williams on lead guitar. The new collective, Yothu Yindi, performed Aboriginal rock which fused traditional indigenous music and dance with Western popular music. "yothu yindi" means "child and mother" and refers to the kinship of north-east Arnhem Land.