iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

Hello,

I'd like to recommend the following paper:

Moyle, Alice, "The Australian didjeridu: A late musical intrusion", World Archaeology, Vol. 12 (3), 1981, pp. 321-331.

This is an interesting reading in which I have finally found both photos and pictures of the celebrated rock art paintings showing people playing the didjeridu. This is based on the works by G. Chaloupka and they are dated 1000 to 2000 years ago. These early paintings come from places like Inagurdurwil, Cannon Hill and Deaf Adder Gorge.

It is interesting too that here it is suggested that the first didjeridus could be made from bamboo and may come from the north-western region of the Northern Territory.
I wonder, however, if didjeridus made from Bambusa arnhemica are still used today or, instead, those made of eucalyptus are preferred.Also, if they are still used I would like to know if some specific use is given and which tribe favors them.

Another interesting fact which until now I had no notice is the use of a box, bucket or bailer shell for resonance in the B-type instruments.

It is also suggested that aerophones may have been more widely distributed in the past, with some evidence found in the literature on central Australian groups. Here we have the ilpirra or ulpirra, a short (60 cm.) rudimentary trumpet used by Aboriginal men as a magic charm for obtaining wives.
A brief mention of the yiki-yiki is also found here and based in the already known source of Roth (1902).

Finally there is something which I find somewhat unclear: "... in the process of its 'intrusion' into Arnhem Land music, the didjeridu may have functioned to some extent as a musical 'fixative', preserving remnants of song styles of an earlier period."
The question is: why? which evidences may support this theory?

Until next time.

Ángel.

Eucalyptus is preferred though apparently B. arnhemica is still used, or at least harvested, for didgeridoo making. There have been applications received by the Northern Territory wildlife commission for permits to take bamboo from the wild for making into didgeridoos in the NW NT region which is where the bamboo grows, nowhere else is it found in the NT. Maybe that is only for commercial purposes as I've not seen bamboo instruments in use in communities.



Don't know, it is only conjecture I think. But it is interesting to note that the most ancient and most sacred songs and ceremonies do not have didgeridoo accompaniment at all in Arnhem Land.

Guan

Thank you for the answer Guan.
May be some day you can offer for sale Bambusa arnhemica didjeridus in the ididj store.

Ángel.

I have some but they are old and expensive!

Guan

That's fine but we need them new and cheap!

I've never seen new ones for sale.

Guan

May be it is time to revive an old tradition...

Here's a pic of 5 old bamboo didges I have, the 2 at the bottom are definitely Bambusa arnhemica and are the oldest at over 100 years old, 2nd from the top probably is, or at least the mouthpiece insert is (it is from the Daly River district where Bambusa arnhemica grows, the other 2 are non-native bamboo species, the one in the middle being from Milingimbi. I might have a couple more lying around but can't find 'em!

Guan

Excellent picture. Is it still possible to play so old instruments? Do they have good sound? May be you can put here some brief sound clips.

Ángel.