Didgeridoo

Didgeridoo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hippie/2475838283/

The didgeridoo. You've probably seen it when walking in Rundle Mall. A musical instrument that makes a "did-ge-ri-doo" kind of sound, which belong to the Aboriginal culture. Knowing little about this instrument and even it's name, while I was in Tandanya, I decided to watch the cultural performance featuring on the day: a Didgeridoo performance. The performance was quite intersting, it was a mix of seeing the cultural guide play the instrument for us but also an informative session on its signifiance to the Aboriginal culture, it's history and much more. So certainly, it really taught me so much of this musical instrument.






Here's just some interesting facts I learned when watching the cultural performance:

• The name didgeridoo actually comes from the sound it makes, originally it is called "Yidaki"

• The different sounds the Yidaki makes can actually embed stories within them. The cultural guide played different sounds all to indicate different animals and objects such as a jumping kangaroo, an emu or a boomerang.

• Unlike other musical instruments the Yidaki is taught and passed on from one person to another person orally, not through written notes, just as it was taught to the cultural guide.

• The Yidaki originally comes from Aboriginals living in the Northern Territory, where it plays a integral part of their culture. They are played in traditional ceremonies, in celebrating their ancestors, they are part in telling moral stories, of passing on culture from generation to generation (keeping the culture alive) while its beats that the people on a spiritual journey.

• While women do not play the Yidaki, they take on an important role in the making and decorating process.

• The images on the Yidaki represent totems. They are not mere decoration, but add an element of reference.

One of the things that striked me most about the Yidaki in the cultural performance was infact, through the movie (1) that was shown. Although the Yidaki is becoming more well known to people around the world, being sold in many different places, an made of so many different materials: from emtal, tin, plastic and more and they even have adjustable versions. It was actually sad to see this the way some people just played around with the Yidaki. While some did acknowledge and respect the Aboriginal culture, I can't imagine how the Aboriginal people would respond to how something so important to them is commercially produced, sold to create profit, taking away the sacred value and essence out of it. I think many have come to see it as a mere musical instrument when actually its very much part of who the Aboriginal people are, their identity, culture and beliefs.

“There is no one word in any Aboriginal language for the term ‘art’. Art forms are viewed as an integral part of life and the celebration of life.” 

- Penny Tripcony, Manager, Oodgeroo Unit, Queensland University of Technology (2)

References:
(1) Yidaki: The Sound of the Didgeridoo, DVD (Australia: SacredOz Productions, 2000).
(2) "Aboriginal Art," Creative Spirits, Accessed 12 August, 2011, http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/arts.