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Dhanggal Gurruwiwi conducting a cultural induction for international visitors at Djalu's master class in 2008
Yidaki Knowledge and Stories
Djalu Gurruwiwi's Famous GARMA Statement of 2002 (translated by Randin Graves and Dhanggal Gurruwiwi)
Larritjana Gurruwiwi's Yidaki Clip Viewed by 1.5 million people across the world
Behind the Scenes of NHK TV Japan's documentary on "Lightning" with Djalu Gurruwiwi and the Galpu Clan
Djalu Gurruwiwi in London, 2009
Djalu Gurruwiwi in Dubai, May 2004
Djalu Gurruwiwi Joshua Tree Festival, USA, 2003
Djalu and Family Dancing in Eisenbach. Germany 2002
To Join A Yidaki Masterclass
Purchasing an authentic Yolngu Yidaki
"The Yidaki brings peace, harmony and healing to the world.
Come, learn, play and understand."
Djalu Gurruwiwi, Master Yidaki Player & Craftsman, Galpu clan leader.
78 year old Djalu Gurruwiwi is one of the greatest living authorities on the yidaki, or what is known outside of Arnhem Land as the didgeridoo. Djalu's Galpu clan hold sacred knowledge of the playing, crafting and performative role of the yidaki.
Rripangu means lightning, it is Djalu's father's sacred name and was chosen to pay homage to him. It also signifies power and knowledge. Djalu explains: "'Rripangu' means lightning and all that lightning represents - it is a powerful symbol of my Galpu clan and, as lightning, I am strong and I do not fear anything". All Yolngu who hear the word "rripangu" know the significance of it. The logo was created by Djalu. The crosshatch design indicates the country of Wititj, the olive python and rainbow. The yidaki is in the centre with Rripangu (lightning and all that it represents) coming out of the top.
Djalu Gurruwiwi's yidaki are the equivalent of Stradivarius violins. This reputation of high quality has only slowly evolved as Djalu explains below. For over a decade Djalu Gurruwiwi and his family have been making yidaki for a growing number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous enthusiasts. Djalu's yidaki were used exclusively by the Yothu Yindi band and over many years he has made yidaki for people all over the world. The extraordinary resonance and healing powers of Djalu's yidaki have made them famous. Djalu has made trips around the world including Japan and Europe to conduct classes and to provide information about the yidaki. It is in some ways ironical that Djalu may be better known and revered internationally than in his own country.
Here is Djalu's own words about the way his business and reputation has evolved:
"Making yidaki is not new to me. I have been making yidaki for many years, even before it became popular among Balanda (Europeans). But this time, I am involving my family in bringing all this to the rest of the world through the internet. This is very exciting for me, and I hope it is equally exciting for you.
By bringing Rripangu Yidaki onto the internet, I hope to be able to fulfill several objectives based on the philosophy which drives the whole process - bridging cultures.
I would like to share my culture and my knowledge with everyone regardless of who they are and where they come from. This is my gesture of friendship and goodwill which I hope will lead to better understandings between Balanda and Yolngu (Aboriginal people from North East Arnhem Land). This is my part in the Reconciliation process. In return, I hope you will gain insights into my people's life and our struggles... I hope you will respect our law, our culture, and our way of life - autonomy and independence.
My family and I wish to live a life that we have control of... this is why we are running this business by ourselves, instead of relying on other people to do it for us.
We also want to be economically self-sufficient - to work for ourselves - instead of relying on governments and their agencies to 'help' us all the time. This is the time for Yolngu to win back our pride and work ethic - cultural maintenance.
In a world that is experiencing dramatic social change, Yolngu must be able to remember who they are and to maintain their culture. By establishing Rripangu Yidaki, our children will be able to be involved in the enterprise by learning from the old people... when we are gone, our children will carry on our memories and keep our culture alive.
Please be patient with us. Our operation is only recently established and it will take time for us to be able to operate smoothly and systematically. Furthermore, please be aware that we will never run our enterprise like a conventional business... our output or production of yidaki and other items for sale will inadvertently fluctuate... sometimes there will be greater demand than supply I am sure. Also, we might not be as quick to respond to email orders or general inquiries as other businesses.
Be assured of one thing... each yidaki I produce will be crafted with the care, patience and love that is the age-old custom taught to me by my father".
One of the challenges is to help people understand the value of a Yolngu yidaki. The general tourist trade would not be able to distinguish Djalu's Stradivarius yidaki from the average $300 yidaki sold in an airport tourist shop. This lower end of the market tended to de-value the much higher quality products made by the Guruwiwi family and other Yolngu clans. So one of the tasks of the current enterprise is to demonstrate just how valuable Djalu's and Yolngu yidaki are.
The internationally acclaimed Buku Larrngay Mulka Art Gallerywere forerunners in this through the brilliant work of Randin Graves who has produced a remarkable insight into the yidaki, techniques of playing as well as the wider Yolngu knowledge base around the yidaki. Randin's pioneering work is being appreciated by a growing number of scholars around the world start to understand the deep and complex knowledge associated with traditional music and instruments. At the forefront of this new scholarly developments is writing by Dr Aaron Corn and others associated with the preservation of traditional music.
Djalu also carries on this quest through Rripangu Yidaki and his own website.
"Who taught me? My two fathers, I watched them cutting yidaki in the bush like this...My father knows. When he goes hunting he brings yidaki with him; when he is hunting for turtle he plays the yidaki...I make yidaki because my father, Monyu, knew about yidaki...he taught me like this, here's a yidaki, here and here, you cut this one.."
Now the Gurruwiwi family make only a limited number of yidaki each year. These are documented and sold through Djalu's website or are included in Djalu's master classes.
The masterclass is also a way of demonstrating the high value of Djalu's knowledge and craft. Djalu ran a class at the annual GARMA Festival for some years. Now he regulary runs his his own masterclasses.
A Traditional Knowledge University or Yidaki University at Gi'kal
Before you read on please listen to Dhanggal Gurruwiwi talking directly about the nature of the Rripangu Yidaki enterprise and the Galpu clan's larger vision of the Yidaki Traditional Knowledge University.#
One of the larger long term projects arising from Rripangu Yidaki is to create a traditional knowledge univerity or yidaki academy at Gi'kal the sacred homelands of the Galpu people. Is a Yidaki Traditional Knowledge University feasible? The Yolngu clans have relied on institutions like Charles Darwin University (CDU) to support their activities. CDU has been a great and active supporter. But the time has come for Indigenous cultural institutions to emerge which are not run by external administrations either in Darwin or in Canberra. This is the long term dream of the Galpu people.
The Australian of the Year 2009 Mick Dodson has talked about the way in which in the United States Indigenous communities are funded by Federal government but are autonomously managed and run by the Indigenous communities themselves. The concept of an enterprise based homeland strategy that involves international support through the 'knowledge economy' is a new development. It differs from a rights based approach and it is also different from the CDEP funding that has supported homelands in the past. The Galpu clan, and all of their Dhuwa and Yirritja relations, have developed their own international recognition thanks to the path breaking work of Yothu Yindi, Warrumpi Band, the annual Garma Festival of Traditional Culture, Buku Larrngay Mulka, the Saltwater Band, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, the Chookie Dancers and many others; the question is can new, sustainable social and cultural businesses on homelands be created on the basis of this recognition? The Galpu people are resolved to achieve their dream regardless of the difficulties and challenges.
No-one doubts the complexity of this task. A prospectus for a traditional knowledge university that is run by the Galpu clan is under constant development. It involves creating annual master classes for international yidaki students, creating a supportive environment for young people to study traditional and mainstream knowledge systems and creating a nurturing environment for the advanced study of traditional knowledge. There will not be one giant step towards these ends but rather a series of steady steps that will evolve over time.
At the heart of everything is the high level of knowledge that is held by leaders like Djalu Guruwiwi and their family and clan members. The knowledges and song cycles learned and understood by Djalu represent the oldest unbroken culture of any civilisation in the world. This knowledge is precious and sacred and needs to be supported through a well endowed traditional knowledge university structure. Increasingly the international and Australian community is recognising this and there have been several Indigenous cultural institutions established in the South Pacific, Canada and the United States.
Another important reason for a a Yidaki Traditional Knowledge University is to preserve and develop the song cycles of the Galpu clan. In effect a traditional knowledge university operates across North East Arnhem Land all year around, season after season and it has been doing so for a time period stretching back beyond modern civilisation. Aa rich, modern country like Australia should recognise this treasure in its midst. In traditional culture ancient knowledges have been retained in the minds of the leaders and elders and transferred on at appropriate times to new leaders. Modern culture in many ways places these traditional ways at risk. The Galpu and Yolngu peoples have used new technology to help young people to learn the music, dance and songs of their culture. This needs to continue in even more sophisticated ways that are controlled by Yolngu people.
It is vital that enterprises and larger projects remain controlled by the Yolngu people themselves. This is why the Ripangu Yidaki enterprise will develop with the Galpu clan at the centre of its development.
How you can help
Come to Arnhem Land, book your tours and make your arrangements through Lirriwi Yolngu Tourism
The best thing you can do to help us is to invest in us by coming to Arnhem Land and spending time with our people. Lirrwi Yolngu Tourism is owned and supports Yolngu community enterprises. So please make all your arrangements for travelling to our lands through Lirrwi. They will be best able to book you into our special tours, events and educational events. If you make a conscious effort to spend in ways that benefit Yolngu peole you will make a great contribution to our community.
Investors
If you are a government or private sector investor and the concept of a sustainable traditional knowledge industry hits a chord with you then we would like to hear from you. We would like to develop investment vehicles that allow you to invest in the economic development of our homeland. In many cases these investment vehicles need to be customised to particular infrastructure and buildings for example and they must take into account the needs and requirements of investors. So the best place to start is to begin a conversation about our needs and your financial investment needs. In general terms we are looking for long term patient capital investments that can be paid back over an agreed period of time.
Community Support
If you are not an investor then you can still help us by voicing your enthusiasm for our work, enrolling in our classes and supporting our enterprise by recognising the high value of our Yolngu yidakis by purchasing them at a reasonable price and being aware of "fake yidakis" that are usually produced overseas.
One of the things that we want to stop is the black market in yidakis that are purchased at cheap prices by sometimes well meaning tourists who offer below market prices in cash to our community members. If you would like to support our long term enterprises then please purchase yidakis through our nominated Yolngu owned and controlled businesses such as Lirrwi Yolngu Tourism, Rripangu Yidaki or Buku Larrngay Mulka. From time to time we will offer yidakis at wholesale prices but we hope that if you would like to support us that you will pay the full retail price of the instruments we produce.
All Yolngu yidakis are made from natural processes. There is no artificial drilling and our instruments are harvested in a sustainable way. There is a great amount of work in crafting a yidaki. All authentic Yolngu yidakis are also created with a view of the sacred knowledge and role of the yidaki that is thousands of years old. These are some of the major differences between yidakis that can be purchased cheaply at airport lounges and tourist destinations. We hope that an increasing number of Australians and citizens of the world will be able to distinguish and respect these features and will be prepared to pay for our knowledge, understanding and craftsmenship.
# Dhanggal Guruwiwi made this presentation as part of the 9 day Miwatj Management Development Program that was run by the Aurora project and the Australian Graduate School of Management Program ran in Nhulumbuy in October 2008.
Lead Organisation/Agency
Lirrwi Yolngu Tourism Aboriginal Corporation
Type of Support Needed
Students are encouraged to enroll in the annual Yidaki Master Class and to support the Rripangu Yidaki enterprise in this way.
Investors are encouraged to contact Karen Young, Manager, Lirrwi Yolngu Tourism Aboriginal Corporation.
Type of Mentoring Needed
Capital raising
Enterprise Development
Finance
Organisational learning
Amount of Investment Needed
$5M - $10M
Type of Investment Needed
Capital Funding for Physical Infrastructure
Recurrent Funding Support
Technical Assistance and Development
Subject(s)
Cultural Development
Education
Yidaki (didgeridoo)
Region(s)
Northern Territory
Northern Territory - East Arnhem Land
Most Recently Presented At
New Listing
First Presented At
New Listing
For further information
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