I recently got an email from my friend Guan at IDIDJ Australia, sharing some videos of a recent trip he made to Arnhemland with Yolngu.
The videos are available at www.youtube.com/ididjaustralia
There is a particularly memorable video of Djalu’s son Larry playing ‘Baywara’, a yidaki cut by Djalu that has a rather interesting legend associated with it.
Guan’s [...]
I’d read about this release on a number of forums, so needless to say, I was excited about viewing this film record of Djunnguwan.
Through song, dance, art and ritual, the Yolngu people of northeast Arnhem Land pass on their sacred knowledge. The Djungguwan is one of their most important ceremonies. Now, at the request of [...]
I’ve just finished reading this powerful book that explains some of the dire and very real problems that Yolngu face in today’s world. It really helps to promote cross-cultural understanding on several levels by pointing out that misunderstanding and misconceptions are the largest obstacles to true reconciliation and mutual respect. Why Warriors Lie Down and [...]
[Randy Graves currently lives in Yirrkala, NT, Australia, and is the Assistant Coordinator and Yidaki specialist at the Buku Larrnggay Mulka Centre. For those who don’t know his work, I urge you to check out his site at www.gingerroot.com. Besides his great musical CDs, he has some excellent instructional CDs on didge playing. And if [...]
