Tuesday, November 14, 2006


THE DIDJERIDU & ABORIGINAL CULTURES IN AUSTRALIA


This is Robert's handout for a concert by Rainbow Serpent, played at Behind the Glass Cafe in Auburn, Alabama.



The didjeridu (or as it is often spelled, "didgeridoo") is believed to be the world's oldest musical instrument. It has been an important part of Aboriginal cultures for tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of years, as recent rock paintings discovered in caves in northwest Australia have indicated that the Aborigines have had a viable society for at least 500,000 years.


The instrument is played by most tribes of Aborigines in Australia to this day. There are, at the very least, 57 different Aboriginal linguistic dialects on the continent, giving the didjeridu another superlative--if one considers each tribe to possess a separate "culture," it has doubtlessly crossed more cultural lines than any other instrument.


A didjeridu starts its life as a limb or trunk of a small tree, usually some type of acacia or eucalypt. Termites hollow out the relatively pulpy interior, leaving a hard, hollow tube. Aborigines find these hollowed-out limbs or trunks and soak them in water until the termite-riddled interior is gone. After the ends are shaped, the tubes are thoroughly sun dried, and usually a coat of ochre is added to the exterior. The ends are then shaped and a mouthpiece of beeswax is formed around the smaller end. They are decorated according to the craftsman's whims, usually with animals.


The didjeridu's eerie buzz is achieved by forming a fairly tight seal around the mouthpiece and blowing into it, the lips "fluttering." Convolutions within the tube and length and girth of the instrument determine the pitch. The trick to keeping the buzz going is achieved by "circular breathing." That is, the player takes quick breaths through the nose while valving out the air remaining in the mouth (trapped by the rear of the tongue, which closes over the tracheal opening), thus maintaining the buzz uninterrupted. A decent didjeridu player can maintain the buzz for a half hour or more.


And speaking of "buzz," playing the didjeridu induces a quasi-hypnotic effect through the effects of hypoxia from the player's circular breathing. This is thought to bring him closer in touch with the "Rainbow Serpent," the pan-Aboriginal mystic force which governs everything in the physical world--the hunt, procreation, health, sickness, life and death. The serpent manifests itself in the form of a rainbow.


Didjeridus were for many years highly prized artifacts, their scarcity due to a natural reluctance of the Aborigines to hand them over to the Europeans who came to their world. There are still taboos attached to this venerable instrument. For instance, women are forbidden in Aboriginal society to play the instrument. Today, fine didjeridus are available for sale throughout Australia, though they aren't cheap. A finely carved and decorated, deep-pitched instrument can fetch $1,000 or more.


The members of Rainbow Serpent are Dr. Michael Hartman, Robin Russell and Rob Mount. We hope you enjoy the haunting sounds of these beautifully primitive instruments, and will have a heightened appreciation and curiosity for the enigmatic lives of the Australian Aborigines.






4 Comments:

Blogger Okawa Ryuko said...

WoW! Very interesting!Why aren't the women allowed to play it?

3:19 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

ROBERT AND I WERE FRIENDS AT ST. ANDREWS IN THE 70'S. NEVER KNEW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM UNTIL READING THIS.....SO SORRY. WE WERE GOOD FRIENDS IN THOSE DAYS

DRAKE LEDBETTER

11:28 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

11:28 PM  
Anonymous rena said...

Drake, I'm so glad you found our memorial site for Robert. Thank you very much for your message. I forwarded it directly on to Robert's sister Mary Dansak.

7:08 AM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home