| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 01/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 44 |
| Copyright: Other |
Wood you head for a wind up Down Under?
Aboriginal culture
Song and dance: choosing a suitable and authentic didjeridoo can be a problem for tourists to AustraliaIt’s been a few years now since my last trip to Australia but I remember it clearly.
My bulging photograph album helps but I think it’s the didjeridoo that sits in the corner of my dining room that has kept the memories alive.
On numerous occasions, normally after a dinner party when copious amounts of alcohol have been consumed, I have been known to stagger to the corner of the room and attempt to play the four-foot long hollow pole.
I then perform a very bad impression of Rolf Harris or we set about a game of ‘Name that Tune’.
Despite the fact this happens on a regular basis, I am still no closer to producing the melodious, mesmerising and rhythmic sound that this Aboriginal instrument can make.
Apparently it’s all about circular breathing. While breathing out through my mouth, I am supposed to take air in through my nose at the same time, storing excess air in my cheeks.
The sound is supposed to be continuous with different notes achieved by regulating the amount of air I blow. Well that’s the theory anyway.
If I had known what a useless piece of furniture this wooden instrument would turn out to be, I could have saved myself a lot of time andenergy searching for the right one during my Australian holiday.
But it became my mission and I was determined not to return home without one. I’m relieved to learn that I am not alone. Didjeridoos are the most common souvenir bought by tourists and can be found in all shapes and sizes in virtually every town and city throughout Australia.
Originally they were used as ceremonial musical instruments by Aborigines to accompany song and dance.
Traditionally they were made from eucalyptus branches that had been hollowed out by termites. A rim of native honey beeswax forms the mouthpiece and it is decorated with brightly coloured traditional Aboriginal designs of dots and swirls.
Since a ‘proper’ didjeridoo is hand made and painted by Aborigines, no two are the same. But it is not only the design that makes it unique. It’s the size, weight and key. This is where it gets complicated and there are lots of fakes about that make the choice even more confusing.
If you’re on a budget then the PVC varieties probably fall into your price bracket – they look good but they’re not the real thing.
Just being wood however, doesn’t guarantee their authenticity since there are a large number of didjeridoos imported from Asia using Indonesian wood and painted by Indonesians.
Whether the wood has been traditionally hollowed out by termites or drilled out using machinery is also a factor that affects the sound of the instrument. Once you’ve finally learned how to get a note, you’ll soon realise that each one plays in a different key. Mine plays in the key of ‘D’.
It may sound obvious but it’s important to be able to pick the thing up in the first place. Didjeridoos can be anything from 50cm to 500cm long and can be incredibly heavy.
It’s hard to know what’s authentic and what’s not. The National Indigenous Arts Advocacy Association cracked down on the imitators in January this year when it introduced authenticity labels.
Under the NIAAA guidelines, artists must prove their Aboriginality before registering as an indigenous artist and being allowed to place bar-coded labels on their product.
However, it’s questionable whether the fakes will ever be eliminated, meaning that the tourists’ shopping trip remains ever long and, sometimes, agonising.
Back home, despite the horrendous sounds I’m capable of making with my didj, I’m pleased I’ve got it – although I am beginning to wonder why my friends are turning down my invites to dinner these days.