Termites!
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For thousands of years, these tiny animals have been the most hard-working and productive didigeridoo manufacturers in the world.
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A didgeridoo consists of a 1 m to 2.5 m long section of a eucalyptus tree trunk hollowed out be termites. Luckily, the light and temperature sensitive termites limit their activity to the hard and dry heartwood of the still living tree, and avoid the moisture-bearing sapwood, which also has a toxic effect on them.
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So after the termites have done their wok, man comes into play. In the following video, you can watch how a didgeridoo is crafted the traditional way:
These are some wonderful people, to whom I am deeply grateful for their valuable encounters in my life, for their inspirations and teachings as didgeridoo players, musicians, artists, and as extraordinary and beautiful human beings.
DENRA DÜRR
HERMANN STRIEGNITZ
DUBRAVKO LAPAINE
STEPHEN KENT
EVA & EDDY HALAT
ART
ISTS
Back home from Australia, in 2020, I had the chance to hear Denra at a concert in the Helferei Grossmünster in Zürich.
I was struck by his gentle, precise and diversified play, while creating colourful and fascinating sound worlds and stories. Soon after, I occasionally started to take didgeridoo lessons with him. Retrospectively, I coudn't have had a better teacher as a start, thank you so much for everything Denra!
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Even though not being active as a musician in today's didgeridoo scene, he without any doubts remains for me to be one of most inspiring and talented didgeridoo players of all times.
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Today, Denra is giving himself fully to another great passion, the work with horses as a trainer and teacher.
Favourite Album: Lizard Mystery (2003)
Sample music pieces:
Link to Denra's website:
Hermann is originally from Germany, but lives in the greater area of Adelaide in South Australia.
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I met him in 2001 or 2002 in Eisenbach, Germany during the yearly Australia Weekend, where he blew us all ayway with his powerful and expressive play on thick didgeridoos using a lot of air and voice.
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In 2003 I went to visit him in Australia, enjoyed a few lessons and bought a fantastic instrument from him, which still today is my absolute favourite one.
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Even though the contact with him was brief, he has had a tremendous impact on the way I enjoy to play the didgeridoo ever since then.
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Favourite Album: Didjeridoo My Way (2000)
Sample music pieces:
Dubravko Lapaine is a fantastic didgeridoo composer, live performer, teacher and instrument crafter living in Croatia.
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Dudo is one of the main musicians, who have contributed to a huge revolution regarding the way, the didgeridoo is widely played today. He has successfully experimented towards finding completely new sounds, techniques and has also crafted new types of instruments, which go in line with his findings.
Taking online lessons with Dudo has always been very much instructive and cheerful, and has opened up a new world of possibilities to me too.
Favourite album: Vibrapuls (2015)
Sample music pieces:
Link to Dudo's website:
Stephen Kent is a professional didgeridoo performer, percussionist, composer and recording artist. He lives in Maui, Hawaii.
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Stephen Kent's play has fascinated me ever since I started playing, but it is only since a few years that I am occasionally taking a lesson with him. I absolutely love the captivating rhythms and energy in his music.
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Stephen has gifted me with a completely new understanding of feeling and playing with the inner air column respectively the movement of the air in one's own body.
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His way of playing the didgeridoo represents exactly in which direction I am trying to learn and grow more at present.
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Favourite album: The Painted Road – Stories for Solo Didjeridu and Percussion (2016)
Sample music pieces:
Link to Stephen's website:
Eddy Halat is a highly gifted didgeridoo crafter, player and teacher. For many years now, he has been a crucial and solid pillar of today's didgeridoo scene, also organizing the yearly Australia Weekend in Eisenbach, Germany.
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As showed on the picture, I too belong to the lucky ones, who has received one of his wonderful instruments, crafted and painted according to my own wishes.
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Not only does Eddy craft true pieces of art of instruments, but his wife Eva also is stunning talent in naturalistic painting. A rare combination that probably is second to none in the world.
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Sample music piece:
Link to Eddy's website:
Link to Eva's website: