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ACT8: My Didgeridoo
When I first read the mission objective I immediately thought about the time a made a didgeridoo with my uncle Riccardo Moretti (http://www.myspace.com/tribalneed). He is a musician and commonly uses the didgeridoo as one of his instruments. When offered me the opportunity to help make one with him I was thrilled because being a musician myself I love these kind of things.
The didgeridoo (also known as a didjeridu or didge) is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia at least 1,500 years ago and is still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe". Musicologists classify it as an aerophone. The instrument is traditionally made from Eucalyptus trees which have had their interiors hollowed out by termites or died of other causes.
Traditionally and originally, the didgeridoo was primarily played as an accompaniment to ceremonial dancing and singing, however, it was also common for didgeridoos to be played for solo or recreational purposes outside of ceremonial gatherings. For surviving Aboriginal groups of northern Australia, the didgeridoo is still an integral part of ceremonial life, as it accompanies singers and dancers in surviving cultural ceremonies. Today, the majority of didgeridoo playing is for recreational purposes in both Indigenous Australian communities and elsewhere around the world.
To make my didgeridoo a physical "knowledge object" and ensuring this piece of wisdom will be preserved for future generations. I will burn the knowledge about the Aboriginal fire farming techniques.
Fire has been used by the aboriginal people to burn their land to stimulate the growth of plant tubers that formed half of their diet for over millennia. The secret of fire in their traditional knowledge is that it is a thing that brings the land alive again. So They don’t necessarily see fire as bad and destructive — it can be a good thing too.
Unfortunately, today the fire is not being well looked after in many places in Northern Australia. However, it continues to be managed well around the outstations where people live all the time, such as at Kabulwarnamyo. To go forward, They need to encourage their children in the ways of the past. Fire must be managed and people must be living on their country (tribal land) to manage that fire.
I will burn all the most important knowledge about fire farming onto my didgeridoo to make it a knowledge object.
By bringing back the way of land management and making it strong for the future, They are doing their bit to help the world deal with climate change.
My Uncle Riccardo Moretti
My Homemade Didgeridoo
Aboriginal Playing The Didgeridoo;
Views: 39
Tags: ACT8:, Aboriginal, Didgeridoo, Knowledge, MUSIC, My
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Comment by PJE on April 23, 2010 at 8:48pm -
I wish you'd put in more photos then we'd all be able to make one.
Great though!
Best wishes PJE
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Comment by Reid Falconer on April 25, 2010 at 10:47am -
I can email you the steps and photos if you what to make one yourself.
Thanks
Reid
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Comment by Sarah Shaw Tatoun on April 25, 2010 at 10:54am -
Love it, Reid! The sound reminds me of Mongolian throat singing. Would you consider playing it for us in a video?
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Comment by Michele Baron on April 26, 2010 at 5:04am -
I have beeswax as a mouth piece on my digeridoo--can change the size/shape and alter initial sound production... is yours traditional--do you use stretched leather mouthpiece? Can you do circular breathing, too? good idea--I like the fire safety information as well--will make your digeridoo a good knowledge stick. thank you for the post.
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Comment by Paul Holze on April 28, 2010 at 4:17am -
Astounding
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