Letter
from Australia - Part One - Flame Trees (7327kb)
Letter from Australia - Part Two - Djalu Gurruwiwi (11444kb)
Letter
from Australia - Part Three - Djalu Gurruwiwi (5940kb)
"And to whoever of you who come here to
my land to learn I say "welcome, come to our land".
Djalu Gurruwiwi, 2002
Djalu Gurruwiwi is a senior member of the
Galpu clan and an internationally renowned yidaki (didgeridoo) maker and
player.
Djalu's expertise is an extension of the role
handed down to him by his now deceased father, Monyu, a noted Yolngu leader in
his time. Monyu instilled in his son the importance of culture and gave Djalu
the responsibility of looking after the yidaki for the Galpu clan. This duty is
all the more important when considering the fact that many clan groups throughout
Djalu's custodial role saw him spend much of
his time over several decades crafting instruments and refining his technique.
The pieces he made were sold to the local community arts centre and to
non-Indigenous workers and visitors in his community who probably did not
appreciate the importance of the man and his work: to them, the yidaki was
merely a novelty, a keepsake. Nonetheless, in this way, Djalu was able to make
a frugal living to feed and to look after the needs of his immediate and
extended family.
In 1986, Djalu's reputation as a expert
yidaki craftsman was given a major boost with the establishment of the Yothu
Yindi band. The Aboriginal members of the band commissioned their close
relative and recognised elite craftsman, Djalu, to make instruments for them.
These instruments toured with the band and were also used in studio recordings
that were released under the Mushroom Records label.
As Yothu Yindi began to pique the interest of
non-Indigenous audiences around the world with its blend of contemporary and
traditional grooves, combined with the energetic stage dancing normally
restricted to ceremonial rituals, so too did the yidaki awaken the dormant
tribal instinct in all of us. Djalu - the gentle and quietly-spoken Galpu man
who is fond of bright shirts and mirrored sunglasses – began to establish an
international reputation. By the mid-1990s, Djalu's status as Mr Yidaki was
cemented. Web forums and chat sites discussed Djalu's yidakis and why they were
superior. His instruments were traded across oceans. Dealers and collectors
clambered to buy his best pieces. Budding non-Indigenous yidaki makers
sought out his knowledge and special skill.
As a bigger international audience got to
know Djalu, they saw not only a man possessed with spreading the message of the
yidaki - but also an incredibly generous and open-hearted human being. In
between hosting the throng of overseas visitors who made their pilgrimage to
his ramshackle house in remote
In 1997, Djalu took part in one of the most
important exhibitions of Aboriginal art, the Painters of the Wagilag Sisters
Story 1937-1997. Staged at the National Gallery of
In 1998, Djalu collaborated with Australian
and overseas artists and printmakers in The Meeting of the Waters
project at the
Djalu delivered the first Yidaki
Masterclass at the inaugural Garma Festival in 1999, delighting Australian and
international guests with his challenging tuition and infectious personality.
He has delivered all subsequent Yidaki Masterclasses at Garma in 2000,
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Djalu's first international outing was in
2002 at the Rripangu Yidaki Festival - named in honour of his family run
business enterprise - in the tranquil town of Eisenbach in Germany's
Blackforest. He followed this up with a visit to the
Also in 2003 was the Northern Territory
Export Awards held at the
Typically hewn from large termite-hollowed
eucalyptus trees, Djalu's instruments are prized for their highly resonant
qualities and shapely aesthetics. His ability to select the right sort of tree
to craft into exquisite musical instruments is legendary among his clansmen and
testament to his unparalleled skill and vast knowledge.
CDs
2001 Djalu teaches and plays yidaki
(didgeridoo). Traditional music from north-east
2003 Djalu Plays and Teaches Yidaki,
Volume 2 (Songs and Stories from the Galpu Clan). Traditional music
from north-east
2003 Diltjimurru: Djalu Gurruwiwi.
ON-Records & Djalu Gurruwiwi
Film
Exhibitions: a selection
(1998) The Meeting of the Waters, an
exhibition of prints and works by artists from the Australasian Print Project,
24Hour Art,
(1998) The 4th National Indigenous
Heritage Art Award, Old Parliament House,
(1998) Hollow Logs from Yirrkala,
Annandale Galleries,
(1997) The Painters of The Wagilag
Sisters Story, 1937-1997, National Gallery of
(1997) Native Title,
(1996) The Thirteenth National
Aboriginal Art Awards, Museum and
(1995) The Twelfth National
Aboriginal Art Awards, Museum and
(1995) The Twelfth National Aboriginal
Art Award, Museum and
(1995) Miny'tji Buku Larrnggay,
Paintings from the East, National Gallery of Victoria,
(1994) Power of the Land, Masterpieces of
Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria,
(1994) The Eleventh National
Aboriginal Art Awards, Museum and
(1994) The Eleventh National Aboriginal
Art Award Exhibition, Museum and
(1990) Spirit in Land, Bark Paintings
from Arnhem Land, National Gallery of
Some
(2006) Aaron Corn, A Legacy of Hope: Manduwuy Yunupinu on
Meaning and Yolnu Agency in the Music of Yothu Yindi, Context, 31
(2006) Aaron Corn, “Rom and the Academy Repositioned: Binary
Models in Yolnu Intellectual Traditions and their Application to Wider
Intercultural Dialogues” in L. Russell (ed.) Boundary Writing: An
Exploration of Race, Culture and Gender Binaries in Contemporary
(2005) Toner, P.G, Tropes of Longing and Belonging: Nostalgia
and Musical Instruments in
(2004) Guan Lim, Dhangal Gurruwiwi & Djalu Gurruwiwi,
Yidaki: A Perspective from north-east
(2003) Guan Lim, Dhangal Gurruwiwi & Djalu Gurruwiwi, Yidaki:
Eine Perspektive aus Nordost-Arnhemland. In: Das Didgeridoo-Phaenomen. Von der
Urzeit zur Moderne. Didgeridoobau. Edited by David Lindner. Traumzeit-Verlag,
(2001) Schebeck, B. and R. M. W. Dixon. Dialect
and social groupings in
(2001) Schebeck, B. and R. M. W. Dixon. Dialect and social
groupings in Northeast Arnheim [i.e.
(1999). Saltwater : Yirrkala bark
paintings of sea country : recognising indigenous sea rights.
(1999). Saltwater : Yirrkala bark paintings of sea country :
recognising indigenous sea rights.
(1997). Caruana, W., N. Lendon, et al. The
Painters of the Wagilag sisters story, 1937-1997.
(1997) The Painters of The Wagilag Sisters
Story 1937-1997 National gallery of
(1997) Neuenfeldt, K.. The didjeridu : from
(1997) Caruana, W.,
(1995) Miny’tji Buku Larrnggay, Paintings
from the East, National Gallery of Victoria,
(1995) Harris, A. and
(1994) The Eleventh National Aboriginal Art
Award Exhibition, Museum and
(1994) Power of the Land, Masterpieces of
Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of
(1990) Spirit in Land, Bark Paintings from Arnhem Land, National
Gallery of
(1990) Judith Ryan, Spirit in Land, National Gallery of
Victoria,
(1983) Howitt, R. and J. Douglas. Aborigines & mining
companies in
(1982) Wells, E. and Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.
(1982). Reward and punishment in Arnhem Land, 1962-1963. Canberra, Australian
Institute of Aboriginal Studies.
(1952) Berndt, R. M.. Djanggawul : an Aboriginal religious cult
of North-Eastern Arnhem Land.
2002 Rripangu Yidaki Festival,
2003 Joshua Tree
2003 Indigenous Peoples Commission cultural
visit,
For more on Djalu and the world of the yidaki go to: http://www.ididj.com.au
Discography for this Letter from Australia
The great Melbourne maestro Andrew Baylor's, "Strange Land" from his CD The Bush is Full of Ghosts 1993-1996 is our opening theme. For this and more music by Andrew go to http://www.andybaylor.com.au
2001 Djalu teaches and plays yidaki (didgeridoo). Traditional music from north-east Arnhem Land, Volume 3. Yothu Yindi Foundation - Contemporary Masters Series available through www.djalu.com
2003 Djalu Plays and Teaches Yidaki, Volume 2 (Songs and Stories from the Galpu Clan). Traditional music from north-east Arnhem Land, Volume 6. Yothu Yindi Foundation - Contemporary Masters Series available through www.djalu.com
Cold Chisel, "Flame Trees" (1983) , Radio Songs A Best of Cold Chisel, WEA Records, 252362-1
Cold Chisel, "Cheap Wine" (1980), Radio Songs A Best of Cold Chisel, WEA Records, 252362-1
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