It's that unmistakable indigenous Australian hardwood trumpet "drone pipe" classified as a brass aerophone and among its extraordinary qualities, playing helps reduce snoring and obstructive sleep apne by strengthening the muscles of the upper airways.
Above all the deep, vibration of its sound is synonymous with the sites and sounds the Australian outback, and its traditional role is as an accompaniment to ceremonial dancing and singing and for solo or recreational purposes. However, while the instrument has gradually developed over at least 1,500 years, cylindrical or conical and between 1 and 3 metres (10 feet) the word didgeridoo is a more modern, probably onomatopoeic name. Across traditional indigenous populations it is variously known as the yiḏaki, ngarrriralkpwina, garnbak, ilpirra and other names.
Didgeridoos are most commonly made form eucalyptus trees and ornately decorated
It most commonly comes from the eucalyptus tree species that are endemic to northern and central Australia. Ornately decorated from one end the the other, beeswax is often also added to the blowing end to make it smoother, and the sound comes from the vibration of players' lips when they blow. The most experienced players do so continuously via circular breathing, creating a mixture of drone tones, but also complex, variable rhythms, but it remains a challenging instrument that requires plenty of stamina.
Here's acclaimed player Ryka Ali, full name Ryka Aliheritage, from the Wuthathi tribe of Shelburne Bay, Cape York and from the Torres Strait Islands, showing how it's done. The results are mesmeric:
Pair sticks, sometimes called clapsticks are also used with the instrument to complement rhythm patterns handed down across generations
Traditionally the instrument is thought only to be for male players, and there is some controversy around this, but female players are emerging. One of whom is half of the Didgeridoo Duet, Adèle & Zalem, whose work has an acoustic, beatboxing drum'n'bass quality.
Meanwhile the work of another Australian, Ticki Stamasuri, takes the pace up another notch to trance dance:
There are many examples of didgerdoo's incorporation of popular music in all forms. Perhaps the best known player of the past 50 years has been the now disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris who had many hits using the instrument, but one lesser known appearance by him is on the early Kate Bush album The Dreaming. inspired by a holiday in Australia:
From Dreaming to Dreamtime Return, and that activity that links the spirit and the earth, perhaps among most elongated, deep-seated and ambient examples of playing is by Aboriginal player David Hudson and his collaboration with Steve Roach and cellist Sarah Hopkins from this 1990 album:
So then, there are many other examples of the didgeridoo in music of all forms. No need for a blow-by-blow account, but care to pick out and share more examples of in any genres of music? Feel free to share anything from songs, instrumentals, on albums, film, art or other contexts in comments below.
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