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The Wagilak Sisters
beach
Length: 174
Rating: 5.00 (1 ratings)
Tags: beach serpent
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Roy Wuyngumbi mago - RARE - Special Promotion
This offering is for a rare mago by Wagilak clansman Roy Wuyngumbi. Wuyngumbi is an elder who has a demanding schedule of ceremonial duties in Arnhem Land. He is sought after for his knowledge of ritual and is often away attending initiation and funeral ceremonies of kin and more distantly-related family. He is a respected songman and a collected but infrequent artist. An art exhibition catalogue from 2005 has the following biographical entry for Wuyngumbi:
"... Roy loves to paint in his own well established unique style, and tells stories of his culture through his paintings. As a senior Aboriginal artist he has paintings in numerous major galleries...".
Roy's brothers included acclaimed artists Sambo Barra Barra and Djardie Ashley.
Wuyngumbi is also well known as a 'bamboo man'. He along with brothers Russel Ngardayngarday and Raymond Marpin are expert didgeridoo players in the family.
This mago on offer is a delightful instrument with a natural bore throughout and exquisite artwork. There is a rim of black sugarbag beeswax which provides comfort and helps ensure a good seal between the mouthpiece and lips. Acoustics are good for Gunborrk style as demonstrated by Darryl Digarrnga. Sweet!
For sale in the iDIDJ Store for a Special Promotional price of AUD$350:
http://www.ididj.com.au/store/fine_didjeridus.html
Length: 32
Rating: 4.90 (7 ratings)
Tags: roy wuyngumbi wagilak yolngu arnhem land ngilipitji didgeridoo didjeridu mago yidaki didge aboriginal indigenous music
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Russell Ngardayngarday Warnapuyngu - yirdaki expert
Name: Russell Ngardayngarday
Clan: Warnapuyngu Wagilak
Homeland: Ngilipitji, Dhupuwamirri - eastern Arnhem Land
Skin: Burralang'
Age: 38 years
Russell Ngardayngarday, also known as Russell Ashley, is recognised throughout the greater part of Arnhem Land as an expert didgeridoo player. His Aboriginal name means Stringybark (the tree species Eucalyptus tetradonta). He comes from the Warnapuyngu branch of the almighty Wagilak clan.
Russell is one of 3 'Ashley' men known as expert yirdaki players, the others being older brothers Roy Wuyngumbi and Raymond Marpin.
It was Marpin - a Guyula Djambarrpuyngu clansman - who taught Russell the finer points in yirdaki playing (Marpin and Ngardayngarday both have Ritharrngu mothers, who were sisters).
Marpin has been a member of the David Gulpilil Dance Group and the Wak Wak Djunggi band, has toured internationally and is featured as the didgeridoo player on a 1991 cassette called "Djut Djut Djane" produced by David Gulpilil Productions. I was fortunate to have met and video recorded Marpin at Ramingining in the 1990s, during ceremonial performance, and will upload these clips to YouTube in the near-future.
Back to Russell... his father was Peter Dawukarri and his mother Rosie Ngardiny (both deceased). His blood brothers include Djardie Wordalpa Ashley, who famously won the 1987 National Aboriginal Art Award (before it was renamed the Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award). Bertie Warrngga is another blood brother who has made enormous contributions to society, through employment in the government sector encompassing a broad range of fields.
Because of Russell's reputation as a yirdaki maestro - and from different families and sources at that - I was keen to seek him out and to meet him. Which proved to be more difficult than I had imagined as Russell drifts between 4 distinct regions including the communities and outstations of Lake Evella, Oenpelli, Katherine, and Port Keats (where his wife is from).
Last week, once in the NT, I travelled 1600 kilometres by road over 4 days in order to track Russell down. Persistence paid off and here are some video clips to show for the effort.
Some comments as background material to accompany the clips...
Russell is somewhat of a 'long-grasser' these days. The term will not be explained here and it is not meant to be derogatory in any way, just a fact of life. Russell has deteriorated in health as a result of living it rough, out in the open with no roof over his head, but worst still, getting stuck into the alcohol in a big way. And every day...
With his brother's Warrngga's permission, I booked Russell into a hotel for 3 days and clothed, fed and looked after him. I was hoping he would get better, for me to hear the yirdaki magic. And also that Russell would regain some normality in his life that would have carry-over effect.
The normality part did not succeed. When the recordings were done and Russell was paid, the next time I saw him he was fully intoxicated on the verandah of a church building, a popular hangout for long-grassers during the wet season. He was sound asleep and no amount of prodding by family members could rouse him.
As for the recordings, note that Russell suffered 'grog shake' during the filming, a symptom of alcohol withdrawal. He improved over the days he was with me, with zinc, magnesium, calcium, vitamin C and vitamin B complex supplements, but not enough for him to fully recover. Russell is also missing 2 front teeth, a fact he pointed out to me in explaining his clumsy first day when I tried to record.
The following segments were recorded at different times, on different days and in different places. Despite lack of practice, grog-shake, and missing teeth, most of it was good to very good, and there were moments of brilliance too which can be seen at the start of Segment 6. Segments 3 and 5 show side-views and breathing patterns can be heard quite clearly in these. Segment 7 has Russell playing a mago WAL style made by his brother-in-law, Dhugurun Gulunggurr of the Ritharrngu clan.
With encouragement, hopefully I and Russell's family can inspire him to bigger things and higher goals in life. He is a good chap who has suffered some set backs in recent years. I was saddened to leave him as he was just starting to come out of his shell and on the last day with him, Russell was beginning to chat and laugh more comfortably. His glazed eyes were beginning to brighten, his shakes more controlable, and his warm and generous personality starting to shine through.
Length: 166
Rating: 5.00 (19 ratings)
Tags: didgeridoo mago yirdaki yidaki didjeridu russell ngardayngarday ngadayngaday wanapuyngu wagilak yolngu arnhem land
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Men's sacred ceremony: the Marndiyala
Warning! This video contains images of the deceased. In some parts of Arnhem Land, this ceremony belongs to the restricted category, forbidden to women and children. Where this video was filmed, at Milingimbi Island, the vast majority of this ceremony is public. Only a small proportion of it is reserved strictly for men... these portions have been edited out of this video.
The Marndiyala is a complex cult ritual which functions as an initiation ceremony for young boys, of both Yirritja and Dhuwa moiety. It is connected to the Wagilak Sisters mythology, as is the Gunabibi, Djungguwan and Ngulmarrk ceremonies. The Marndiyala ceremony is current in some communities in Eastern and Western Arnhem Land. In other communities it is no longer practiced or is banned.
My first experience with Marndiyala was at Maningrida community in 1994, where, at around midnight on the last day, I was invited to dance with the men. I did so gladly. It was fun, exhausting and exhilarating - all at the same time.
This video clip was filmed 10 years ago, at Milingimbi Island in 1996. The ceremony is complex to the extreme and has several layers of meaning. It would take a lifetime, and more, to fully understand and appreciate the Marndiyala in its entirety.
This video clips does not attempt to explain. Instead, sit back, watch, listen and learn. Note that the whistling and the fire have significant meaning to Yolngu. These things are embedded in Yolngu cosmology and are an integral part of their belief system. Notice also that the didgeridoo does not play any role in this ceremony. The principal instrument in the Marndiyala is the Garligarli, or paired boomerangs.
Length: 348
Rating: 4.90 (7 ratings)
Tags: arnhem land ceremony marndiyala mandiyala milingimbi initiation culture cultural traditional australia indigenous
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Crossing Roper Bar at the NGV
Members of the Australian Art Orchestra came together with members of Wagilak Gujarra/Nyilapidgi for a peformance of Crossing Roper Bar in the Indigenous Collection: The Ian Potter Centre:
NGV Australia
Length: 280
Rating: 5.00 (1 ratings)
Tags: aboriginal australia ngukurr indigenous music australian art orchestra
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Raymond Marpin Guyula: yirdaki & mago master
The recent passing away of one of Arnhem Land's greatest yirdaki players brings much grief to family, friends and the community of didgeridoo players worldwide. Rather than giving up, iDIDJ Australia is more determined than ever to press ahead with promoting Indigenous culture, arts and musical traditions of the Top End of Australia. The journey must continue to educate, advocate, and promote... if only to bring recognition and improved life outcomes, before it is too late, to those who have achieved mastery of a unique woodwind instrument from northern Australia. The show must go on...
In the coming months, iDIDJ Australia will showcase exciting new talents as well as continue to support existing masters. Watch out for our artist-in-residence program for some of the finest instruments coming out of Arnhem Land. A new initiative at iDIDJ Australia will ensure 100% of proceeds from sales of many new works will go directly to artists to help with community development and to support livelihoods in remote communities in the Top End.
We are proud to present Raymond Marpin Guyula in this special YouTube clip, the first for the internet. Marpin is a Djambarrpuyngu clansman who lives at Gapuwiyak (Lake Evella), or Gupawupa outstation to be more precise. He has performed with David Gulpilil's traditional performance group as well as Ramingining's Wak Wak Djunggi band. He has travelled far and wide as an in-demand didgeridoo player for ceremony and is never easy to find.
Marpin is one of Arnhem Land's most versatile didgeridoo players who has a reputation as an expert yirdaki and mago player among fellow Arnhem Landers. We're justifiably proud and honoured to be able to bring Marpin's expertise to YouTube.
Marpin's technical execution is not only of the highest standard, but his repertoire of song material and his diverse knowledge of playing styles drawn from all corners of Arnhem Land is arguably unmatched.
This introductory clip starts with Marpin talking a little about his background... where he comes from, when he started playing yirdaki. This is followed by a demonstration of yirdaki playing using the personal instrument of his brother Roy Wuyngumbi of the Wagilak clan. This is a beautiful yirdaki from Gapuwiyak covered from top to bottom in red, black, yellow and blue duct tape. Although the mouthpiece inner diameter is a rather large 4 cm, Marpin still manages to get a good seal and plays with power and finesse.
Next Marpin demonstrates Bungalinybungaliny style on a superb mago in F#-G fundamental. Listen carefully to his precise rhythm and patterning. It doesn't get any better than this.
The second mago Marpin demonstrates on, a lower key instrument, is remarkable for the syncopated stop mid-way through his performance, which is repeated at the end. This is a very difficult technique which requires absolute concentration and an intimate understanding of time and meter. Marpin is the equal of David Blanasi, if not a more accomplished and versatile musician. It has been a privilege to sit with this Djambarrpuyngu man and to listen to his story and his musicianship. That he is missing his front tooth and still manages to kick arse with yirdaki and mago is simply the stuff of legend.
Raymond's brother Russell Ngardayngarday was previously presented on YouTube. Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HwILGy1qP8
Length: 403
Rating: 5.00 (33 ratings)
Tags: raymond marpin guyula djambarrpungu lake evella gapuwiyak yirdaki yidaki didgeridoo mago didjeridu bungalinybungaliny
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Oenpelli mago, made by Russell Ngardayngarday
YouTubers - hey, that's a good word! - might remember Russell Ngardayngarday from an earlier vid on the ididj channel. If not, here's the clip again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HwILGy1qP8
You've seen and heard Russell's playing style, now see and hear one of his own instruments!
This mago was made by Russell whilst he was visiting family at Oenpelli in Western Arnhem Land. It is a nice mago that plays in the key of D without adornment, but can rise to E flat when using tongue inflections during trad rhythms. The bore is unmodified and it totally termite natural! Mouthpiece is comfortable without wax, with an inner diameter of 30-33 mm. The bell end is 6.5 cm diameter.
Listen to Darryl Digarrnga do his stuff Gunborrk style!
This is a promotional special to celebrate NAIDOC Week. Check out the iDIDJ Store for more details:
http://www.ididj.com.au/store/fine_didjeridus.html
Length: 34
Rating: 5.00 (2 ratings)
Tags: russell ngardayngarday wagilak mago didgeridoo didjeridu yirdaki yidaki gunborrk white cockatoo arnhem land aboriginal
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