Here Mike talks about the role of practice, his time with Didjeridu Dingo, the euphoria that comes with playing complex technical pieces, his current preference for involvement in collaborative new works, and more.
Thanks again Mike for sharing your story with us all.
Didgeridoo Conversations with Mike Jackson Part 2ididjaustralia2014-01-25 | This is Part 2 of a two part series.
Here Mike talks about the role of practice, his time with Didjeridu Dingo, the euphoria that comes with playing complex technical pieces, his current preference for involvement in collaborative new works, and more.
Thanks again Mike for sharing your story with us all.
Folks, if you enjoyed this and you gained something from it comment, like, share and subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOMorning Star Painter - Jack Wunuwun.ididjaustralia2020-12-16 | Acclaimed artist Jack Wunuwun shows how he prepares and produces a bark painting. Shot on country at Gamerdi outstation, halfway between Maningrida and Ramingining in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Music by Dick Bandalil (didgeridoo) and David Gulpilil (singing), and narrated by David Gulpilil.
Credits: Curtis Levy Productions (1980).Djalu Gurruwiwi 2017 | Blue Bamboo didgeridooididjaustralia2017-02-07 | Djalu plays the Blue Bamboo in 2 styles.
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgPzu6mKMvMlm_eBxantgGpu2RwsDWHZEAdrian Guyundu Gurruwiwi | Blue Bamboo didgeridoo | Freestyle Yidakiididjaustralia2017-02-01 | Adrian has had touring experience with Rripangu Yirdaki as a traditional dancer and currently performs with Barra Band - Birritjimi community's home-grown musical outfit noted for its soulful blend of Reggae, Gospel, traditional Yolngu manikay, and Ska:
Although not a yidaki specialist Adrian has a wonderful playing style. He has the ability to combine technical exactitude with good pace while throwing in surprise riffs and rhythms that mix things up. Goodonya Adrian!Vernon Gurruwiwi | Blue Bamboo didgeridoo | Freestyle Yidakiididjaustralia2017-01-31 | Vernon Gurruwiwi plays freestyle yidaki on the Blue Bamboo didgeridoo.
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOVernon Gurruwiwi playing Mutjalanydjal (Dolphin) | Blue Bamboo didgeridooididjaustralia2017-01-30 | Vernon Gurruwiwi is a yidaki specialist who has been immersed in the ways of the didgeridoo since childhood.
He follows in the footsteps of his older brother Larry Gurruwiwi, his father Djalu Gurruwiwi, and grandfather Monyu Gurruwiwi in maintaining Galpu clan mastery of the instrument.
You can track Vernon's progress as a yidaki player in this playlist which shows him as a young teenager through to adulthood:
Vernon regularly assists his father Djalu in playing yidaki in ceremony as well as in masterclass contexts. He also plays yidaki for Barra West Wind band and was recently in the studio with other band members recording their debut album... keep an ear on the ground for its release this year in what is touted to be a critically acclaimed hit!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch and learn from the best didgeridoo players on the planet:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOLarry Gurruwiwi 2017 | Blue Bamboo didgeridoo | Freestyle Yidaki 2ididjaustralia2017-01-29 | The Blue Bamboo didgeridoo gets another workout in this display of freestyle yidaki awesomeness by Larry Gurruwiwi...
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOLarry Gurruwiwi 2017 | Blue Bamboo didgeridoo | Freestyle Yidaki 1ididjaustralia2017-01-21 | Among didgeridoo aficionados - especially those focussed on the classical musical styles of the Top End of Australia - Larry Gurruwiwi is credited as one of the finest and most powerful didgeridoo players on the planet.
Since childhood, Larry 'Wuduku' has literally lived and breathed yidaki and continues to be surrounded by it on a daily basis. His father is no other than the great Djalu Gurruwiwi - revered master and cult hero of the instrument.
Larry has international touring experience as a member of Rripangu Yirdaki in addition to a growing domestic profile through Barra (West Wind) Band which he co-founded. Barra has performed on the Australian music festival scene for a couple of years and continues to go from strength to strength. Currently in the studio recording their second album, you can keep abreast of the band's progress on their Facebook page:
A big thank you to all our fans... we now have clocked up 14 million views across the iDIDJ channel! Subscribe to get notification of our latest uploads:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOStanley Gawurra playing the Blue Bamboo didgeridooididjaustralia2017-01-04 | Gawurra is a competent yidaki player though not a specialist... he is an all-rounder who knows his culture intimately and who has also taken the music world by storm by cleaning up at the 2016 National Indigenous Music Awards with 4 top gongs including Album of the Year and New Talent of the Year.
Stanley begins with some freestyle yidaki rhythms and ends with the classic song Lorrpu (White Cockatoo).
The current Blue Bamboo playlist consists of 18 different players:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBFF90ADBFE59FC68Gawurra sings and plays yidaki (didgeridoo) for Wurrpan (emu)ididjaustralia2017-01-03 | Gawurra first plays the yidaki accompaniment for Wurrpan as performed by the Daygurrgurr Gupapuyngu clan of Arnhem Land and then explains the Wurrpan dance, how emu goes to drink at waterholes and splashes about and dances in them.
He ends by singing the song for Wurrpan.Bruce Rogers 1964-2016: pre-eminent Australian didgeridoo craftsmanididjaustralia2016-12-18 | This was recorded at Bruce's didgeridoo crafting workshop that he hosted in October 2014 at his Bend of Islands base, a bush sanctuary north-east of Melbourne where Bruce with wife Lynne had built their spectacular mud-brick home nestled among the eucalypts.
In a career spanning 22 years as a specialist didgeridoo craftsman, Bruce brought to life over two thousand instruments that he had lovingly shaped by hand - no easy feat considering the substantial thought and effort Bruce put into each individual piece and his mantra of allowing a tree's natural lines to reveal itself in the finished product.
Bruce's instruments brought joy to many across the globe. His easy, relaxed nature was a trademark character trait, his smile an instant ice breaker. Warm, friendly and always ready to consider alternative points of views, Bruce Rogers lived quite an extraordinary life and in doing so became quite an extraordinary person.
His untimely departure from this earthly realm seems inconceivable, his loss deeply felt by all who knew him.
Gone but not forgotten, Bruce Rogers 1964-2016, may you Rest In Peace.
Tracks featured in this video include Amazon and Night Event from the 2004 album Keep Going by Tongue N Groove of which Bruce was a part.Up close with Malngay Yunupingu | yidaki master | Yothu Yindi & East Journey bandsididjaustralia2016-03-08 | Here's a short clip of Malngay playing yidaki, shot from an angle that shows the musculature at work when playing technical, fast-paced yidaki.
The take home points here are:
1) Breathe frequently. Don't wait until you are almost out of air before taking a breath. In order to maintain high internal pressure within the oral cavity and within the instrument frequent breathing is a must for those interested in the traditional Yolngu playing styles and techniques of eastern Arnhem Land. Mikey Gurruwiwi and Gapanbulu Yunupingu have also emphasised this point.
2) Know what you are going to play for the first few seconds before you start, even if you are playing freestyle. Hold the pattern in your mind then play. This is important because the introductory part of your yidaki playing sets up the rest of the tune or song, gives it structure, and establishes the musical meter. Once you have the introduction down pat, you can then more easily and spontaneously build upon the rhythms and riffs you are going to use in a freestyle context.
For comparative purposes, here are some older clips of Malngay on the iDIDJ Australia channel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyXPcmNoF-AGoma | Blue Bambooididjaustralia2016-02-02 | "In his youth, the Tokyo-born Goma travelled to the Northern Territory in order to study the didgeridoo under master Djalu Gurruwiwi. During his stay, Goma lived with the Yolngu people and was adopted into the Galpu clan. Under the tutelage of Djalu, Goma became the first non-indigenous person to win the Northern Land Council prize at the Barunga Festival didgeridoo competition.
Upon returning to Tokyo, Goma founded the Jungle Rhythm Section, a highly respected musical outfit which blends Jungle and World Music with Goma’s contemporary interpretation of the didgeridoo.
In 2009, Goma was involved in a near-fatal car accident resulting in traumatic cerebral damage and a long recovery process. Suffering from anterior grade amnesia, Goma struggled to form new memories. Two days after coming out of his coma, Goma felt the compulsion to paint. Picking up his daughter’s paint set, Goma started work on a series of striking dot paintings. SInce 2010, the collection of work has grown in size and complexity, as Goma attempts to commit his life to paper while undergoing rehabilitation.
Goma’s artwork bears a strong resemblance to indigenous dot paintings, but is infused with classic Japanese aesthetics and landscapes. Goma’s intention is not to appropriate indigenous art. Instead, as with the didgeridoo, Goma is attempting to embrace it as a source of inspiration and strength while creating a cultural bridge.
In 2013, director Tetsuaki Matsue released Flashback Memories, an award winning documentary on Goma’s life, music and art. The success of the documentary resulted in international recognition of Goma’s remarkable story.
On the 5th of February, 2016, Backwood’s Gallery will be presenting KIOKU - flashback memories, an exhibition of key works from Goma’s personal collection, alongside a diary of his life since his accident.
We hope that KIOKU - Flashback Memories will be a rewarding exhibition for our community and collectors. The show explores the nature of memories, the mind, self, music, art and strength. We feel that it is a strong and poetic start to our 2016 calendar.
Goma will also be performing at the exhibition opening on Friday the 5th February, from 8 pm.”
From the catalogue GOMA, KIOKU - Flashback Memories. 5th-14th Feb, 2016. Backwoods Gallery, 25 Easey Street, Collingwood, Victoria 3066, Australia.
http://backwoodsgallery.comBevan Gapanbulu Yunupingu on the Blue Bamboo didgeridooididjaustralia2015-11-30 | Gapanbulu is a didgeridoo luminary with an enviable pedigree and brilliant track record.
He performed his first gig at the age of 13 - in London no less, with the famed Australian band Yothu Yindi, and without rehearsal! This cemented his place in history as the youngest didgeridoo player the star-studded group has had.
Since then Gapanbulu has been on 6 world tours with Yothu Yindi and features on a number of their studio albums.
Here Gapanbulu demonstrates his expertise on didgeridoo... our apologies for the bad lighting as it was late at night when Gapanbulu dropped around.
Gapanbulu remarked on this particular instrument as his favourite and as having the ability to follow his every move, he prefers it to stringybark hardwood and made several strong offers to purchase the Blue Bamboo - but it is not for sale.
We did gift Gapanbulu an incredible didgeridoo made by his late uncle Mr Mununggurr though, Gapanbulu remembers this named yirdaki as "gudurrku" (brolga) that was in use in Gove in 1999/2000.
In the world of didgeridoo we might be hearing less of Bevan in years to come as he transitions from being a didgeridoo specialist and begins his journey as a songman... he continues to learn the manikay song cycles of his Gumatj grandmother clan.
Away from music and touring, Gapanbulu is a keen footballer and has played for the local Gopu team in the GAFL league every year since he was a kid. Remarkably, Gopu has made the grand final in the local competition every year that Gapanbulu has played (3 times kicking the match-winning goal) with 2015 being the exception.
Bevan's latest venture is establishing his own outstation in the Gove Peninsula region, winning praise and respect from family and friends alike.
Gapanbulu credits his uncle, master didgeridoo technician the late David M. Mununggurr, for his abilities with the yidaki.
Here is a playlist of other didgeridoo players who have had a go on the Blue Bamboo:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBFF90ADBFE59FC68Triple-breath didgeridoo rhythm 1968/69ididjaustralia2015-02-03 | Here's an old film shot in the season of 1968/69, of particular interest is the triple-breath didgeridoo rhythm played in the overtone-absent manner or "WAL" style.Banumbirr: Morning Star Poles from Arnhem Land, NT, Australiaididjaustralia2014-06-08 | Banumbirr is a term used by the Yolngu people of eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, to refer to the complex of concepts and objects that relate to the Morning Star (the planetary body Venus).
It belongs to the domain of the Dhuwa moiety - one of two descent groups among the Yolngu people.
The moiety system is also a high order classification principle applied to the entire Yolngu multiverse, where every natural phenomenon - from stars, winds and ocean currents to parcels of land, animals and plants - are inter-related through a complex web of connections embedded in cultural knowledge and practice.
Early in 2002 a group of Yolngu artists and dancers from Galiwin'ku, Elcho Island, travelled to Sydney for the launch of the Banumbirr exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. This documentary maps the journey of the Banumbirr and showcases some of the traditional Aboriginal dances associated with its mythology.
Incredible didgeridoo playing by Tom Dhakaliny Burarrwanga can be seen and heard and Gali Yalkarriwuy Gurruwiwi and the rest of the Ratjpa Dancers mesmerise the audience with their dance moves.
Credits: commissioned by John Colquhoun and Suzanne Lowe of Bandigan Arts.
Follow and like us on Facebook, one standout didgeridoo given away each month until the end of 2014 simply for being awesome and for watching our videos, 7 superlative didgeridoos to give away in 2014 :)
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHODidgeridoo virtuoso David Blanasi, Outback Adventures 1998ididjaustralia2014-05-27 | An early 1998 episode of Outback Adventures with high-adrenalin Aussie bushman and outback daredevil Troy Dann.
During his TV celebrity peak, Dann was screened into 100 million homes worldwide and was nominated for 2 Logies. Troy Dann went viral even before there was YouTube!
Here Troy teams up with didgeridoo maestro David Blanasi to learn how to make and play a didgeridoo in the NT... the process begins with Blanasi selecting a termite-hollowed bloodwood in the bush near his community of Beswick in southern Arnhem Land. The log is stripped of bark, the instrument shaped and excess sapwood removed, then a bit of light sanding before the artwork goes on... Dann helps with grinding the ochres and Blanasi paints with his characteristic brush strokes...
Dann to Blanasi: "You show me how to play it properly".
Blanasi to Dann: "I don't know, not enough breakfast!"
We've just reached 500 "Likes" on our Facebook page and it is also our 20th anniversary since our first venture into the Northern Territory... keep an eye on our Facebook page as well as our YouTube channel for promotions, free didgeridoos and other special events until the end of 2014! Make sure you know our videos and channel like the back of your hand to be in the running to win stuff :)
Follow and like us on Facebook, one standout didgeridoo given away each month until the end of 2014 simply for being awesome and for watching our videos, 7 superlative didgeridoos to give away in 2014 :)
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOOndřej Smeykal (CZ) at Melbourne Didgeridoo & Cultural Festival 2014ididjaustralia2014-05-26 | Ondřej Smeykal is an artist-musician from the Czech Republic.
He is a consummate didgeridoo professional whose exploration of the instrument continues to reformulate the didgeridoo's soundscape on the global stage.
A recording artist, teacher and live performer, Ondřej has traveled extensively with the didgeridoo.
Studying art at the University of Canberra in the 1990s brought him to the didgeridoo's homeland for the first time.
Here Ondřej is back in Australia at the Melbourne Didgeridoo & Cultural Festival 2014 with a moving opening piece, demonstrating skill not only with didgeridoo but presenting a fine singing voice as well, thank you Ondřej for sharing your talents and friendship with us!
Follow and like us on Facebook, one standout didgeridoo given away each month until the end of 2014 simply for being awesome and for watching our videos, 7 superlative didgeridoos to give away in 2014 :)
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOWalyamirri: Return of the Living Environment - Yirrkala, NE Arnhem Land, NTididjaustralia2014-05-24 | An early 1990s rather unconvincing PR video produced for Nabalco on mine rehabilitation and ecological management in the Gove Peninsula region, eastern Arnhem Land, NT, Australia.
The blurb reads:
"In 1968 Nabalco secured leases in remote tropical Arnhem Land to commence what was to be the biggest open cut bauxite mine in Northern Australia. Conscious of the environment and the needs of the traditional land owners, Nabalco established a rehabilitation program right from the start. Today the program is a shining example of how mined land can be returned to its natural state and how Aboriginals and the mining community can work together in harmony, each having achieved and prospered along the way."
Apologies for bad sound quality, will try to improve in the next several days...Ben Greatwich on the Blue Bambooididjaustralia2014-05-23 | We met Ben Greatwich for the first time recently, during the 2014 Melbourne Didgeridoo & Cultural Festival.
He is part of the awesome crew over at Didgeridoo Breath in WA and is a much loved team member and a favourite among its customers.
With a Batchelor of Arts (Recording Arts) degree under his belt, Mr Greatwich's musical talents is not restricted to didgeridoo but also encompasses bass, djembe, flute and percussion.
Other than music, living well and living sustainably are important to Ben and we couldn't agree more with him, goodonya mate!
Listen to Ben blast it up on the Blue Bamboo, thank you buddy for your participation and the grace you bring to the instrument, manymak!But most families do have a didgeridoo, 1960s Gunabidji people, north-central Arnhem Landididjaustralia2014-05-22 | This was recorded in the vicinity of the mouth of the Liverpool River in the early 1960s - near what is now known as Maningrida community - on the coast of north-central Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia.
The land-owning group of the area is known variously as Gunavidji, Gunabidji and Kunibídji, and here you can see and hear their version of the didgeridoo.
It is an overtone-absent style of play that is evident in this clip. The instrument itself appears to be one made from pandanus rather than the more typical hardwood more common in later decades.
Today, Maningrida is a linguistically and culturally diverse community. Some of the languages spoken include Burarra, Dangbon/Dalabon, Dhuwal/Dhuwala (Yolngu Matha), Djinang, Ganalbingu, Gun-nartpa, Gurrgoni, Kriol (Creole), Kunwinjku, Kune, Kunbarlang, Nakkara, Ndjébbana, Rembarrnga and Wulaki.
Maningrida was initially established as a trading post just after WW2, partly to stem the westward flow of Aboriginal people towards Darwin.
With the drastic changes brought about by the war effort, Aboriginal people often walked overland for many hundreds of kilometres to see what the fuss was about in Darwin and surrounds. Some individuals never returned to country and were buried in Darwin and neighbouring areas.
Follow and like us on Facebook, one standout didgeridoo given away each month until the end of 2014 simply for being awesome and for watching our videos, 7 superlative didgeridoos to give away in 2014 :)
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOAustralian Aboriginal use of Spinifex resin technologyididjaustralia2014-05-21 | Spinifex resin is a thermoplastic bio-molecule used extensively throughout Australia by Aboriginal people. Both men and women are involved in the processing of the resin.
In addition to its more common use as an adhesive for repair and hafting purposes, spinifex resin is also used as cladding in shelter construction and it can be shaped into objects and ornaments for sorcery, ceremony or for personal adornment.
While the processing and use of the spinifex resin by Aboriginal people is falling, scientific interest in the resin is growing among university academics and industry groups due to the unique physical and chemical properties of the resin.
Here you can see the processing of the spinifex plant, the collection of the tiny resin beads, its heating and compaction into a solid lump of resin with a hot stone, and finally its use in hafting a stone tool.
Now that you have a little insight into Australian Aboriginal science and technology, how would you boil water without a kettle, stove top, electricity or a metal container? Comment and be in the running to win some cool prizes!
Follow and like us on Facebook, one standout didgeridoo given away each month until the end of 2014 simply for being awesome and for watching our videos, 7 superlative didgeridoos to give away in 2014 :)
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOSanshi on the Blue Bambooididjaustralia2014-05-19 | Yoshitaka Saegusa aka "Sanshi" is an enthusiastic and energetic didgeridoo player, teacher and recording artist as well as live performer.
We first met Sanshi at Djalu's Rripangu Yirdaki Masterclass in 2008 and enjoyed his company and lively energy. In the intervening years, he has grown his retail business Didgeridoo Breath in Fremantle, Western Australia:
Ocean Breath is Sanshi's latest musical foray as part of dynamic trio Breath (Anne Norman, Sanshi, and Reo Matsumoto). They combine didgeridoo, shakuhachi and beatbox in beautifully harmonious ways. You can listen to samples and buy the CD online:
Here Sanshi plays the Blue Bamboo at Princess Park, Carlton, on a recent visit to attend the Melbourne Didgeridoo & Cultural Festival 2014.
Thank you Sanshi for your participation and keep up the great vibe!31st Green Room Association Awards 2014: Industry Contribution & Lifetime Achievement Awardsididjaustralia2014-04-30 | For the past 30 years Melbourne's performing arts community has come together annually to recognise excellence in drama, opera, cabaret, dance, fringe theatre and musical theatre.
This year's winners in their respective categories are...
Industry Contribution: Ilbijerri Theatre
Lifetime Achievement: Jack Charles
http://www.greenroom.org.au/Lest We Forget WWII N. Australia | didgeridoo, anthropology, historical and and WW2 interestididjaustralia2014-04-26 | A snapshot of the tumultuous WWII years in northern Australia...
Lest We Forget.Ganga Giri at Melbourne Didgeridoo & Cultural Festival 2014ididjaustralia2014-04-07 | Global phenomenon and Melbourne's own Ganga Giri at last night's 2014 Melbourne Didgeridoo & Cultural Festival. Ganga was accompanied by Dan Pearson on drums, nice one Dan!
Great vibes, awesome music and people, and lovely new festival site, congratulations to all the mob for organising, planning and successfully executing, and to all the artists - thank you!
Follow and like us on Facebook, one standout didgeridoo given away each month until the end of 2014 simply for being awesome and for watching our videos, 7 superlative didgeridoos to give away in 2014 :)
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHODavid Gulpilil dancing in Storm Boyididjaustralia2014-04-05 | David Gulpilil as Fingerbone Bill in the 1976 classic Storm Boy. Here, Gulpilil dances to a Ganalbingu song from north-central Arnhem Land...
Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOJourney to Groote Eylandt, didgeridoo and trial by spear!ididjaustralia2014-03-16 | Explore the sights and sounds of Umbakumba community, Groote Eylandt, NT, Australia.
Listen to how didgeridoo is made and played on Groote Eylandt and watch a mock spear fight... missed me by that much :D
Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHORethinking Caring for Country | Contemporary Aboriginal Land Managementididjaustralia2014-02-16 | This is a place called Gulpi, a popular hunting spot for Aboriginal residents of the community of Ramingining, NT, Australia.
Gulpi is encompassed within the protected "Arafura Wetlands and Surrounds", the largest freshwater ecosystem in eastern Arnhem Land and a significant natural-cultural landscape which entered full listing on the Register of the National Estate in 2001.
Land use patterns in the Arafura Wetlands and Surrounds continue to change with changing circumstances and competing interests. In addition to subsistence and caretaker roles fulfilled by Aboriginal custodians of the estates within the protected region, there are now non-Indigenous recreational and the occasional commercial intrusion into the Goyder-Glyde River estuary system and the wetlands proper.
Invasive weed species including Mimosa and feral animal populations of pig and buffalo threaten the ecological landscape as does the introduced species Rhinella marina (cane toad).
Aboriginal residents of Ramingining community know the wetlands best and are without doubt the best rangers anywhere on the planet for this parcel of wetlands. As soon as infants are able to walk they accompany family on hunting expeditions and begin their hands-on education in learning about the land and all that it sustains, the inter-relationships between clan groups and natural species...
Here little ngarritjan is seen learning the art of hunting for long-neck turtle (Chelodina rugosa). Nearby are another favorite source of protein, magpie geese (Anseranas semipalmata) which gather in waterholes and feast on the corms of Eleocharis dulcis, the Chinese water chestnut, while a herd of cattle owned by Murwangi Corporation graze on grasses and reeds.
Possible commercial enterprises that are owned and sustainably-managed by Yolngu community or family groups include crocodile egg harvesting; trophy hunting of large buffaloes, crocodiles and pigs; barramundi and sport fishing; eco-cultural tourism; small-scale supply of magpie geese, wild pig, buffalo, and other 'bush tucker" to the native foods industry; and supply of quality farm-grown fruit and vegetables to nearby remote communities.
Famed actor David Gulpilil takes his name from this place.
Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOThe best of Mike Jackson, Australian didgeridoo expertididjaustralia2014-01-28 | This is a short compilation of Mike's extraordinary didgeridoo playing. It is all the more remarkable as Mike has not been practising much, of late only on a cardboard tube for his 1 year old son.
Goodonya Mike, we hope you continue performing, recording and teaching!
Follow and like us on Facebook, one standout didgeridoo given away each month until the end of 2014 simply for being awesome and for watching our videos, 7 superlative didgeridoos to give away in 2014 :)
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHODidgeridoo conversations with Mike Jackson Part 1ididjaustralia2014-01-25 | Mike Jackson talks about didgeridoo and his journey in mastering technique. The Sydney mob has been one influence, the city being a hotbed of highly skilled didgeridooists of professional standing among whom is Charlie McMahon, a friend of and musical co-creator with Jackson.
Folks, if you enjoyed this and you gained something from it comment, like, share and subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOMike Jackson on the Blue Bambooididjaustralia2014-01-24 | Mike Jackson is a didgeridoo technician par excellence. Sizzling pace, technical brilliance, and backed up by compositions that are fluid yet complex, Mike is among the most refined didgeridoo players that iDIDJ Australia has had the privilege of recording.
With 4 successful albums under his belt and numerous international outings as performer and teacher, this is Mike's twentieth year since he first began playing the didgeridoo.
Apart from his mastery of the didgeridoo, Mike is also an archaeologist with some 800 sites recorded for the southern Blue Mountains region in close collaboration with the Gundungurra people and in particular with 98 years old Uncle Merv (Joseph) Cooper.
Thank you Mike for affording us this privilege and for being a part of the Blue Bamboo project.
Mike's most recent artistic creation is a musical collaboration with pianist Amanda Handel in a project called Gardens of Stone (which is also the name of a National Park in the Blue Mountains):
http://www.gardensofstone.com.au/
Based in the majestic sandstone Blue Mountains (its name is supposedly due to the aromatic compounds released by eucalyptus forests that surround the mountains, these terpenes literally form a haze that imparts a blueish hue to objects seen through it), with a second place of habitation in Healesville (Victoria), Mike and I got an opportunity to catch up over lunch in Lilydale and for a recording session - drop into Bom Gusto if anyone is in the area, morish farm-to-plate food at very reasonable prices.
Folks, if you enjoyed this and you gained something from it comment, like, share and subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHODidgeridoo sensation Morgan Ashleyididjaustralia2013-12-24 | Morgan is a highly skilled didgeridoo player ever with a grin on his face. He is part of the dynastic Ashley family of acclaimed artists, didgeridoo players, songmen, dancers and warriors in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Thank you Morgan for your enthusiasm and thank you everyone for watching our videos this year :)
Subscribe, comment, like and share for more goodies in 2014 plus the chance to win freebies. Come join us on our fan page on Facebook and hangout with us:
Merry Christmas everyone and may 2014 endow you with good health, fulfillment and productivity.
Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOAustralian Aboriginal didgeridoo rhythm | Dhuluthulu | Cameron Malibirrididjaustralia2013-12-20 | Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo artist Cameron Malibirr is from Gapuwiyak community, NT, and a nephew of the legendary Raymond Ashley.
Cameron plays the song for Dhuluthulu, a type of bird that is also the name of a special type of didgeridoo.
Cameron is new to our channel. Like, comment and share if you'd like to see more new artists featured on the iDIDJ channel, thx!
Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOButterfly song (Bonba) | Didgeridoo Solo | Raymond Ashleyididjaustralia2013-12-19 | Didgeridoo music as performed by Raymond Ashley of Gapuwiyak community.
This is bonba (butterfly) in Yolngu Matha and is a song subject for Dhuwa clan groups in eastern Arnhem Land including Raymond's own Djambarrpuyngu confederation. It is played twice.
Thumbs up if you enjoyed this, comment to give your appreciation, and share to let your friends know of your passions, thx!
Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOHow to didgeridoo, breath and breathing with slow-mo analysisididjaustralia2013-12-15 | Having trouble learning how to breath or when breathing should take place when playing didgeridoo? A demonstration by Vernon Gurruwiwi shows you how, the close-up perspective allows you to hear when a breath is taken and how it fits into the rhythm of play.
One of the lessons to be gained here is that it is just as important when NOT to take a breath as it is when you DO take a breath. This is especially the case for trad didgeridoo styles of play from the Northern Territory of Australia.
The second clip is the same as the first but slowed down to 50% speed while preserving pitch. If this is a useful tutorial like, comment and share so we will know to make more of these.
Like us on our fan page on Facebook to keep up with news and to win cool prizes in 2014:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHODidgeridoo non-typical style | Gotjiki from Gapuwiyakididjaustralia2013-12-14 | Didgeridoo asymmetric style. Although Gotjiki plays front-on rather than to the side, there is asymmetry in the mechanics of his action with his right cheek remaining still and his left acting as bellows.
The lesson here is to find what works for you best and not get weighed down by dogma or preconceived ideas of how the mandapul is supposed to be played. Experiment and practise as much as you can.
Gapuwiyak is a hotbed of talented musicians, artists and dancers and Gotjiki is among the fastest and more technically-inclined didgeridoo players in his community.Stephen Kent playing the Blue Bambooididjaustralia2013-12-03 | Stephen Kent was in Melbourne (Australia) recently and we were privileged to have him play the Blue Bamboo. Thank you Stephen.
Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOStephen Kent interviewididjaustralia2013-12-02 | Stephen Kent is a talented multi-instrumentalist and composer. In the didgeridoo world he is an acclaimed and respected innovator with a long and continuing career that begun in the 1980s. He is both a soloist as well as an ensemble artist whose forte is collaboration across cultural soundscapes.
Born in the UK and with stints in Australia, Spain, east Africa and now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Stephen's musical associations include those with Trance Mission, Lights in a Fat City, Beasts of Paradise, and currently Australian Bebop Ragas and Baraka Moon.
This is in addition to the large number of world-class musicians he has collaborated with such as Zakir Hussain (India), Habib Koite (Mali), Rahim Al Haj (Iraq), Chirgilchin (Tuva), Samulnori (Korea), Leonard Eto (Japan) and Omar Sosa (Cuba) to name a few.
Many might not know that in 1981 Stephen was MD of Australia's groundbreaking Circus Oz, a circus without animals and with a reputation for its stance on social justice and humanitarian issues, in particular its support for Aboriginal Land Rights.
For the past 15 years, Stephen has continued to host his weekly radio show "Music of the World" on Pacifica Radio's KPFA.
To learn more about Stephen or to contact him, please follow the links below:
Thank you Stephen for your time and for sharing this story with all of us.
Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOUncle Jack Charles, cover of Mona Lisa songididjaustralia2013-11-28 | Uncle Jack playing a tune.Aboriginal Dance (Necklace) | Gapuwiyakididjaustralia2013-11-24 | This is an Aboriginal dance with accompanying song and mandapul (didgeridoo) tune concerned with Girringgirring or necklace. Location is Gapuwiyak community in the Northern Territory, Australia.
The camera vantage point gives the viewer a sense of spatial orientation with regards to the positioning of singers, didgeridoo player, and dancers.
Note the melodic structure of the vocal segments and how this does not vary between singers though individual singers might be pitched differently to each other. All singers follow the same melodic structure. This functions as an "identity card" of sorts.
Clifton and Jerol offered animated dancing for the camera, and either Gotjiki or Honeyboy provided didgeridoo accompaniment.
Despite the occasion being one of recreation and amusement, the coordination of voice, clapstick beat, didgeridoo and dance movement was tight.
The yidaki component was especially powerful, fast and technically difficult. It is worth bearing in mind that it is but one element in an ensemble.
Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOWild Honey Dance, Gapuwiyakididjaustralia2013-11-22 | This is the Wild Honey dance performed impromptu and for the camera. Despite the growing heat building throughout the morning and over the course of filming, a lively energy was demonstrated by all and there was no sign of tiring among the dancers. Honeyboy accompanied on didgeridoo with Terrence among the singers and Jerol to be found on the dance ground.Uncle Jack Charles - Dark as a Dungeonididjaustralia2013-11-19 | Dark as a Dungeon is an old country and western classic originally penned by Merle Travis in 1946 and subsequently covered by such luminaries as Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Harry Belafonte, and Tennessee Ernie Ford.
Here Australia's own luminous Uncle Jack Charles performs his rendition of Dark as a Dungeon:
Come all you young fellas so brave and so fine And seek not your fortune way down in the mine It will form like a habit and seep in your soul In the streams of your blood is as black as the coal
Oh it's dark as a dungeon and damp as the dew Where the dangers are double and the pleasures are few Where the rain never falls and the sun never shines It's dark as a dungeon way down in the mines
There's many a man I've known in my day Who lived just to labour his whole life away Like a fiend with his dope or a drunkard his wine These men must have lust for the lure of the mine
Well it's dark as a dungeon and damp as the dew Where the dangers are double and the pleasures are few Where the rain never falls and the sun never shines It's dark as a dungeon way down in the mines
I hope when I die and the ages will roll My body will blacken and turn into coal As I look from the door of my heavenly home And pity the miner a-diggin' my bones
For it's dark as a dungeon and damp as the dew Where the dangers are double and the pleasures are few Where the rain never falls and the sun never shines It's dark as a dungeon way down in the mines Yes.
Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHODjalu Gurruwiwi making and playing a yirdaki 2004ididjaustralia2013-11-12 | Djalu Gurruwiwi and his wife Dopiya Yunupingu demonstrate the process of making a didgeridoo. Djalu plays the yidaki to conclude this short film. This was recorded for Questacon, The National Science and Technology Centre in Canberra, Australia, for its 'Strike a Chord' music exhibition.
Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/1qEvCHOD. M. Mununggurr (RIP) playing mandapul in Melbourneididjaustralia2013-11-12 | Mr Mununggurr playing a fine didgeridoo made by Daphne Banyawarra featuring flying fox design.Fine yirdaki made by Banyawarra - played by M*lk*y!ididjaustralia2013-11-12 | This is one of the finest yirdaki made and painted by Banyawarra.
Banyawarra has the distinction of having made the instrument that was used on tour by one of the finest yirdaki players on this planet - M*lk*y Mununggurr. The same instrument was used by David Blanasi's apprentice, none other than Darryl Dikarrna Brown, during White Cockatoo's performance at the Darwin Festival, 2006.
This yirdaki has enormous power, which isn't very apparent in this clip due to automatic volume adjustment by the video camera. Outstanding acoustics with dark muddy characteristics, superb depth and balance, easy overtone note. This would be one of the favourite instruments of visitors to iDIDJ Australia, including those who have been to the Garma Festival and checked out all the instruments up that way.
Banyawarra has been gaining a lot of interest from art galleries and public collecting institutions recently, and rightly so. iDIDJ Australia is proud to have nurtured her talents and to have promoted her from the beginning.
This instrument is available in the iDIDJ Store:
http://www.ididj.com.au/store/fine_didjeridus.htmlDidgeridoo music Gunwaral (shadow) | Darryl Dikarrnga Brownididjaustralia2013-11-12 | Didgeridoo demonstration by Darryl of the tune for Gunwaral. Gunwaral means shadow and there is an accompanying song and dance for this subject matter.Raymond Marpin playing an E flat mago (Dhugurun)ididjaustralia2013-11-12 | Raymond Ashley is an accomplished musician of international experience. He is well versed in both the over-present and over-absent styles of play that are in use in the Northern Territory of Australia. Here Raymond demonstrates Bungalinybungaliny style on a didgeridoo crafted by the late Mickey Hall (RIP).Larry Gurruwiwi playing some deadly tunes Garrawara didgeridoo (yirdaki)ididjaustralia2013-11-12 | This is a no-fuss yirdaki with very good responsiveness to traditional Yolngu technique and style. It is not an overly large or powerful instrument, but has nice acoustic balance which allows plenty of sonic malleability. Larry proves the point with his crazy machine-gun staccato prelude and his rapid-fire overtone notes are also noteworthy.Djakapurra playing didgeridoo backstage in South Korea, 2006ididjaustralia2013-11-12 | Djakapurra Munyarryun playing yirdaki in Korea for an international folklore festival.