Although some believe the Australian Aborigine has been using the didgeridoo for over 40,000 years, the oldest records of Aborigines playing the didgeridoo date back 2000 years in the form of old Northern Territory cave and rock paintings. In the west we have only been playing the didgeridoo for a maximum of 30 years and only in the last ten years or so have we been trying to play traditional Aboriginal style. A growing number of westerners are now discovering the beautiful rich harmonics and subtleties that come from playing West Arnhem Land or North East Arnhem Land style!

The didgeridoo originates from the part of Australia that Australians call "the top end", the Northern Territories and in particular Arnhem Land. The word didgeridoo is not an Aboriginal word but comes from the European settlers to the area who probably gave it the name based on the noise it made. The two most common traditional names used by western players are Yidaki, which comes from NE Arnhem Land, and Mago from West Arnhem Land.

Among the Yolngu people in NE Arnhem Land there is an unbroken tradition of crafting and playing the didgeridoo, the vast majority of Yolngu made Yidaki from NE Arnhem Land are made from 'Stringybark' however, sometimes 'Woolybutt' or 'Bloodwood' are used. The trees are naturally hollowed out by termites which burrow in to the ground, lay eggs and the larvae eat up the inside of the eucalyptus tree. An Aboriginal yidaki maker has a sense of the approriate tree which he then tests by removing a small piece of bark and hitting the tree with his finger or a tool to hear if the sound indicates a hollowness. An experienced Yolngu can tell from that sound, how hollow the tree is and where to make the initial cuts for the proposed yidaki. If the tree is not sufficiently hollowed the subject location is remembered and the tree left for another time. Such sensitivity to nature is vastly different from the non-indigenous approach where large sections of forest are cleared without regard for the environment and readiness of any particular tree. It is interesting to note that 99.9% of all didgeridoos and yidaki sold on the global market are not indigenously crafted and painted.

In West Arnhem Land the didgeridoo is commonly referred to as the mago and was made famous from the 60's by David Blanasi (and some promotion by Rolf Harris). David Blanasi was an exceptional didjeridoo player and mago maker who co-founded 'The White Cockatoo' performing group. David Blanasi travelled and performed extensively throughout the world for 30 years, he was the first Aborigine to come to England since 1792, and brought the mago to international prominence for the very first time.

Djalu Gurruwiwi is the Custodian of the didgeridoo, a senior member of the Galpu clan in North Arnhem Land and an internationally acclaimed yidaki maker and player. Djalu Gurruwiwi reveals that a didgeridoo made by a traditional owner or custodian has spirit and that spirit is in the instrument itself! A yidaki, mago or didgeridoo made by a non-Indigenous person has no spirit and is merely a musical instrument. Djalu, goes further and states the same lack of spirit is evident in didgeridoos made by Aboriginal people who don't have the instrument as part of their cultural heritage. Which translates to just because a craftsman is an Aboriginal Australian, it does not necessarily mean they have the right and cultural backing to make an indigenous didgeridoo.

The most important issue for the discerning didgeridoo buyer who seeks authenticity and wishes to participate in and support the rich cultural heritage of the 'didgeridoo,' is to buy from a source which guarantees instruments are made by an indigenous Australian Aborigine who has the instrument as part of their cultural heritage! All the didgeridoos used by boo are made by indigenous craftsmen who have the cultural right to be making didgeridoos. Didjit is proud to be supplied with didgeridoos from Aboriginal Arts Ltd

Many thanks to Colin and Aboriginal Arts for supplying this information