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Hi, this is just a short note about me and why I am undertakng this venture.
My life long ambition to visit Australia was finally realised in 1999, a four week backpacking type holiday with my partner and her two young lads which yielded my first didjeridu, a very small unpainted instrument bought from Philip Jackson along with a complimentary booklet about the didjeridu and how to play it. No consideration was given on my part as to whether it was "genuine" or not because at the time it didn't even enter my mind, a didjeridu was just a didjeridu as far as I was concerned. Three years later, this time with my new (and still current) partner who has an even bigger Australia fixation than me and our 11 month old baby, we had another six weeks stay travelling the east coast and another, much larger didjeridu came home with me, this time with the intention of learninng how to play it!. Even then not much practice was done over the next 3 years, Finally..
I started playing contemporary styles because that was all I had heard being played but soon became very interested in the aboriginal culture. My eyes were opened to a whole new aspect of this instrument that I never knew existed before and I wanted to find out more. I knew that the two instruments I had were not "genuine", for one thing, the larger instrument was bought on the streets of Townsville from a white guy who said he went into the bush and cut and crafted them himself. This did appear true as he had unfinished ones with him that he was working on whilst he was selling others. At the time of purchase, due to lack of knowldege, this wasn't an issue, why would it be ? I had no understanding of indigenous aborigines and the exploitation of their culture so I was unaware I was doing anything wrong. However, once I gained some understanding of the aboriginal culture and the significance of the didjeridu in it I felt quite embarrassed and ashamed that I had contributed to the exploitation of that culture by purchasing these.
At this time though I was still unaware that there were two types of genuine aboriginal didjeridu, traditional and non-traditional. I had noticed that the instruments the aboriginals played looked a bit different to what I knew of but as I had never seen anything like it in the many shops I visited during my stays in Australia, I presumed that these were just what the aborigines used for themselves and the "better looking", "properly finished" ones were the ones made for the shops!! so my goal at the time was just to own a genuine aboriginal imstrument.
Another, slightly longer, visit to Australia was realised in 2005. We travelled (drove) from Cape Tribulation in Queensland to Cape Otway in Victoria and this time I brought home a genuine instrument or did I? Bought in Cairns, Queensland, well known for the prevalance of didjeridu shops, I was told it was a genuine aboriginal instrument. It was not sealed on the inside like most I had seen and the artwork looked at the time to be "aboriginal". I cannot say definately either way as there is no way of telling who, whether aborigine or not, made or painted it but the odds are that it is not genuine, it certainly is not a traditional didjeridu. This upsets me as I may have bought another "fake" instrument, albeit in ignorance, when this was certainly not my intention. Since then I discovered that the traditional didjeridu is indeed available to buy, not usually from big retailers or posh shops but from art centres and private individuals who love the culture, respect the instrument for what it is, have a passion for the music and who treat the aboriginal artist fairly and respectfully. These are the people I have found and now deal with, genuine suppliers of authentic traditional aboriginal instruments, including those from North Eastern, Central and Western Arnhem Land. I am now learning traditional playing on traditional instruments purchased from these suppliers and I feel a lot happier now I am putting back into the Aboriginal community a small part of what the white cutters, and I, had previously taken out. As far as knowledge goes I am a relative newcomer to this ancient culture so don't pretend to be an expert on all things Aboriginal but what I do have is a passion and respect for this amazing instrument and a desire to learn.
I visited Australia again during November/January 2008/2009 and August 2009 and plan to go again in a couple of years. In the meantime I would like to do more to support the Aboriginal communties by bringing their art, culture and music to a wider audience with a view to creating a better understanding of their way of life. One way to do this is to showcase their instruments and art and direct anyone who is thinking of buying a didjeridu to this site where authentic traditional instruments etc are being offered. Every instrument I buy from my suppliers whether for personal use or with a view to re-selling means that's one less opportunity for the white cutters to make a sale and one more opportunty for the aboriginal artist, their families and ultimately their communities to benefit from the culture that is rightly theirs. To further the cause, the Aboriginal artists gain fair remuneration for their work and world-wide exposure of their culture. Authentic didjeridu's are certainly not the cheapest option BUT REMEMBER, you get a hand made individual instrument, cut, crafted and painted by an artist from a Northern Territory, North Eastern, Central or Western Arnhem Land community which plays beautifully, what can be better than that?
Need more info about the Didjeridu, what's traditional and what isn't? Then please click here
My life long ambition to visit Australia was finally realised in 1999, a four week backpacking type holiday with my partner and her two young lads which yielded my first didjeridu, a very small unpainted instrument bought from Philip Jackson along with a complimentary booklet about the didjeridu and how to play it. No consideration was given on my part as to whether it was "genuine" or not because at the time it didn't even enter my mind, a didjeridu was just a didjeridu as far as I was concerned. Three years later, this time with my new (and still current) partner who has an even bigger Australia fixation than me and our 11 month old baby, we had another six weeks stay travelling the east coast and another, much larger didjeridu came home with me, this time with the intention of learninng how to play it!. Even then not much practice was done over the next 3 years, Finally..
I started playing contemporary styles because that was all I had heard being played but soon became very interested in the aboriginal culture. My eyes were opened to a whole new aspect of this instrument that I never knew existed before and I wanted to find out more. I knew that the two instruments I had were not "genuine", for one thing, the larger instrument was bought on the streets of Townsville from a white guy who said he went into the bush and cut and crafted them himself. This did appear true as he had unfinished ones with him that he was working on whilst he was selling others. At the time of purchase, due to lack of knowldege, this wasn't an issue, why would it be ? I had no understanding of indigenous aborigines and the exploitation of their culture so I was unaware I was doing anything wrong. However, once I gained some understanding of the aboriginal culture and the significance of the didjeridu in it I felt quite embarrassed and ashamed that I had contributed to the exploitation of that culture by purchasing these.
At this time though I was still unaware that there were two types of genuine aboriginal didjeridu, traditional and non-traditional. I had noticed that the instruments the aboriginals played looked a bit different to what I knew of but as I had never seen anything like it in the many shops I visited during my stays in Australia, I presumed that these were just what the aborigines used for themselves and the "better looking", "properly finished" ones were the ones made for the shops!! so my goal at the time was just to own a genuine aboriginal imstrument.
Another, slightly longer, visit to Australia was realised in 2005. We travelled (drove) from Cape Tribulation in Queensland to Cape Otway in Victoria and this time I brought home a genuine instrument or did I? Bought in Cairns, Queensland, well known for the prevalance of didjeridu shops, I was told it was a genuine aboriginal instrument. It was not sealed on the inside like most I had seen and the artwork looked at the time to be "aboriginal". I cannot say definately either way as there is no way of telling who, whether aborigine or not, made or painted it but the odds are that it is not genuine, it certainly is not a traditional didjeridu. This upsets me as I may have bought another "fake" instrument, albeit in ignorance, when this was certainly not my intention. Since then I discovered that the traditional didjeridu is indeed available to buy, not usually from big retailers or posh shops but from art centres and private individuals who love the culture, respect the instrument for what it is, have a passion for the music and who treat the aboriginal artist fairly and respectfully. These are the people I have found and now deal with, genuine suppliers of authentic traditional aboriginal instruments, including those from North Eastern, Central and Western Arnhem Land. I am now learning traditional playing on traditional instruments purchased from these suppliers and I feel a lot happier now I am putting back into the Aboriginal community a small part of what the white cutters, and I, had previously taken out. As far as knowledge goes I am a relative newcomer to this ancient culture so don't pretend to be an expert on all things Aboriginal but what I do have is a passion and respect for this amazing instrument and a desire to learn.
I visited Australia again during November/January 2008/2009 and August 2009 and plan to go again in a couple of years. In the meantime I would like to do more to support the Aboriginal communties by bringing their art, culture and music to a wider audience with a view to creating a better understanding of their way of life. One way to do this is to showcase their instruments and art and direct anyone who is thinking of buying a didjeridu to this site where authentic traditional instruments etc are being offered. Every instrument I buy from my suppliers whether for personal use or with a view to re-selling means that's one less opportunity for the white cutters to make a sale and one more opportunty for the aboriginal artist, their families and ultimately their communities to benefit from the culture that is rightly theirs. To further the cause, the Aboriginal artists gain fair remuneration for their work and world-wide exposure of their culture. Authentic didjeridu's are certainly not the cheapest option BUT REMEMBER, you get a hand made individual instrument, cut, crafted and painted by an artist from a Northern Territory, North Eastern, Central or Western Arnhem Land community which plays beautifully, what can be better than that?
Need more info about the Didjeridu, what's traditional and what isn't? Then please click here
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