Didgeridoo

Last week, as Theo and I were leaving a shopping center, we spotted this aboriginal man on his bicycle with a didgeridoo. I love the modern and traditional elements going on here.

So what’s a didgeridoo, you ask? It’s a wind instrument developed by indigenous Australians a thousand years or so ago. It’s made out of a hollow tree that is cleaned out and shaped. Beeswax may be applied to the mouthpiece end and the instrument may be painted or left natural. The didgeridoo is played using a special breathing technique to continuously vibrate the lips and produce a drone.

The didgeridoo is not just a musical instrument. It’s also a ceremonial instrument that traditionally only men play; women sometimes play it informally. Some indigenous Australians believe it’s cultural theft for non-indigenous Australians to play or even touch it, but it’s quite a popular product in tourist shops, like the ones shown above from the Queen Victoria Market.