iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

Summing up and clearing out my previous messages…

We are at the point where the word didgeridoo doesn’t refer as traditional aboriginal instrument. As a result to this the traditional context where this instrument is played remains unknown in the west. Thus the didgeridoo is widely understood as a new age instrument that has no truthful relation to aboriginal heritage. Even the form and material of this instrument have lost its roots in western markets.

The old scientific definitions for the didgeridoo are way too old to everyone to reach. The new (age) interpretations are the only ones to be easily found from the internet. The widely sold didgeridoos are not made by traditional custodians of this instrument. The instrument in world market has lost its contact with its traditional makers and methods.

Thus the traditional didgeridoo needs to be redefined scientifically. In addition to this the traditional didgeridoo and the culture related to it needs to be productised and marketed with higher volume than new age markets are doing. To do this the industry standard has to be created in addition to fair trade market system.

All this leads to mainstreaming the traditional culture that needs to be done by empowering and supporting the traditional owners of the didgeridoo related culture. The other aim is to create conscious consumers who are equipped by the correct knowledge and understanding of traditional didgeridoo culture.


Tuomas

This is why I use yidaki and mago to describe those instruments with high cultural specificity and authenticity, to differentiate them from the generic didgeridoos coming out of Cairns, Syndney, Yuendumu, Alice Springs, etc.

This is why I use yidaki and mago to describe those instruments with high cultural specificity and authenticity, to differentiate them from the generic didgeridoos coming out of Cairns, Syndney, Yuendumu, Alice Springs, etc.[/quote]


This is why traditinal context needs to be mainstreamed - now there is only few persons who have even heard those traditional names. But in addition to this I see that also other traditional didgeridoo instruments in addition to mago and yidaki needs to be (scientifically) defined.

Tuomas

I'm a Korean and I saw Didgeridoo for the first time in my life when Mr.Guan came to here to participate in our festival. Your discussion helps me a lot to learn Didgeridoo. Keep going.

Hello Jerry!

Thanks for joining the Forum... I hope you find it useful. Feel free to network with others and to seek possibilities for future events in Korea.

On behalf of Djakapurra, M*lk*y and Aaron Nalkuma, thank you again for all you did for us in Korea. It was the most enjoyable festival that M*lk*y has ever been to, and M*lk*y has travelled a lot to different countries in the world. Your work was absolutely top notch and professional.

All the best,

Guan

Any Photos of your Festival?

Hi Bindi,

You can see some vids of the festival on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpKHpLnwLuk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGfgad01KIw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHrIS6huwUQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuCkoXt5X_o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoPP5cyS810

Hello Guan!

It's fantastic to see the Anseong festival on YouTube. It reminds me of the days.

Please say hello to Djakapurra, M*lk*y and Aaron Nalkuma

This practice has always concerned me :

It's pretty common amongst some of the larger didjeridu exporters in Australia to make didjeridus, distribute them to various well known Aboriginal artist for painting, collected them after paying for the art work and then exporting them as works belonging to that individual artist's name.

When we see sticks for sale here in shops or on the web they are advertised as being by that artist, when in fact it is only the art work that was created by that artist. And here is the problem :

Some of, in fact many of the best artists are also well known and highly skilled instrument makers. If I'm looking to have an instrument made by a particular maker, I'm looking because I am familiar with his standards about instrument crafting, playing characteristics, quality of the timber, etc... As a consumer, it makes it hard to know if I'm getting an authentic instrument or merely an authentic work of art, or ideally both.

It's also bad for the reputation of an instrument maker to have sticks out in the market place which are not representative of his work as a didj crafter representing his name.

It seems that some standards about authenticating instruments should be established to make it clear to the consumer exactly what kind of product he is getting on both the level of the instrument and the art work. And there are a small handful of didjeridu retailers who address this. They state quite clearly on their authentic pieces who is the maker and who is the artist if that is , in fact, two different individuals. But those retailers are quite rare. In most cases, I don't think most resellers know and in some cases I don't think they care. But in any case, this issue seems to now fall clearly in the corner of let the buyer beware. Consumer education is part of the solution, surely. Still, a little truth in advertizing seems little to ask in such a profitable venture as the didjeridu for export market, no?

Ed

Hi Ed,
I believe that this last point is very important and many people try to avoid it as they delude themselves into believing that they are protecting their interests... whatever that may really mean.

Certainly one needs to approach the issue from both sides and educating the consumer is a fundamental part of that too.

Martin