Didjeridoo

The didjeridu, a primordial trumpet

The didjeridu (also spelled didgeridoo) is a lip-reed aerophone - in other words, a trumpet - associated with the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. It is usually made from a eucalyptus trunk or branch naturally hollowed out by termites. Its bore is cylindrical or slightly conical depending on the region, and its upper end - where the player places their lips and vibrates them - is sometimes covered with beeswax to reduce the diameter of the tube and make it more comfortable to play. Made from natural materials, these instruments vary in shape and length: for example, the five specimens at the MIM range from 83 to 132 cm in length, and no two are exactly alike.

Although insects play a major role in its creation, human hands are still needed to finish the didjeridu. After cutting the branch or trunk, the maker removes the bark, thins the walls if necessary, and smooths the internal parts accessible to them. Decorative paint may be applied, featuring totemic motifs specific to certain clans or individuals, or linked to Aboriginal spirituality, incorporating geometric figures and human or animal representations.

The sound of the didjeridu is produced by vibrating the lips at its upper end, which creates a relatively low-pitched tone, often called a drone. The timbre can be modified by the player by varying the shape of the oral cavity and using the vocal cords to produce vocalisations while playing, such as imitations of animal cries. A harmonic note, in addition to the drone, can also be produced. The technique of continuous (or circular) breathing allows an uninterrupted sound that can last as long as the player wishes.

The historical origins of the didjeridu are uncertain. Cave paintings dating back 1,500 years provide archaeological evidence of its existence, but its use is probably much older. Aboriginal spirituality associates the didjeridu with the Dreamtime, the time of the ancestors. Some beliefs suggest that humans appeared on earth when the Rainbow Serpent - Kummanggur - blew them out of his didjeridu. The instrument thus took on the role of a primordial trumpet, at the origin of humanity.

The MIM example and the spread of the didjeridoo

Our example is one of a set of three fairly similar instruments acquired in 1973. It was made from a relatively cylindrical, irregular, and short eucalyptus branch. Two white bands surrounded by black patterned bands decorate the top and bottom of the instrument. These decorations, undoubtedly linked to the object’s clan of origin, probably come from the eastern part of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. There, where the Yolngu people call didjeridus yidaki, they are mainly cylindrical in shape, whereas further west in the territory they often take on a conical form (Joris 2012). Didjeridus have also been made of bamboo and, more recently, from alternative materials, including synthetic ones.

Little known or documented outside Australia until the 1970s, the didjeridu gradually spread across the world. Adopted by Anglo-Saxon counterculture, including Hippies who nicknamed it the “didge,” and used in pop and rock music, it later achieved worldwide fame with the rise of interest in world music. Today, the didjeridu is considered a symbol of Aboriginal culture throughout Australia and beyond. However, it was originally indigenous only to the northern regions of the continent, mainly Arnhem Land. The term didjeridu is a modern, onomatopoeic name derived from the sound perception of non-Aboriginal listeners. Traditionally played only by men in ritual contexts, it typically accompanies one or more male singers. During ceremonies, percussion instruments are used in conjunction with the didjeridu or directly on it. It can also accompany dancers, regardless of gender, on more informal and festive occasions. Its organic, raw sound conveys a sense of authenticity and connection to the earth, and it is sometimes even used for therapeutic purposes.

Associated for a month with its distant European cousins, the didjeridu can be rediscovered at the MIM in a display case on the Traditional Instruments floor.

Text: Géry Dumoulin

Bibliographie

• Alice M. Moyle, “The Australian didjeridu: A Late Musical Intrusion”, World Archaeology, vol. 12, no. 3, Archaeology and Musical Instruments (Feb., 1981), pp. 321-331
• Karl Neuenfeldt, The didjeridu: from Arnhem Land to internet, London; Paris; Rome; Sydney, Perfect Beat, 1997
• Dirk Schellberg, Le didgeridoo: origine rituelle et techniques, Havelte, Binkey Kok, 2000
• Frank Herreman, Océanie : signes de rites, symboles d’autorité, Brussels, ING Fonds Mercator, 2008
• Michael Atherton, Musical instruments and sound-producing objects of Oceania: the collections of the Australian Museum, Bern, Peter Lang, 2010
• Denis Joris, Organologie océanienne : étude de la collection d’Océanie du Musée des instruments de musique de Bruxelles, Liège, Université de Liège (master’s degree in Art History and Archaeology, musicology), 2012
• Peter Holmes, “Didgeridoo”, in Trevor Herbert, Arnold Myers, John Wallace (eds.), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Brass Instruments, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2019, p. 146-148
• Before time began: naar de oorsprong van de hedendaagse aboriginal kunst, Milan, 5 Continents Editions, 2021, exhibition catalogue