What’s common between Dil Chahta Hai , the band Highlight Tribe and the New Zealand rock band Like a Storm?
It’s the didgeridoo, which has made its way from Australia and trickled down into Bengaluru from places like Gokarna, Varanasi and other Himalayan tourist haunts.
A simple hollow log of wood, which at first, appears to be just kindling, produces a seemingly unlikely rich, melodic sound akin to that of a conch. The wind instrument is known to have originated over 1,500 years ago and is usually made with the tree trunks of the eucalyptus, whose hard wood lends the instrument its trademark resonance.
The modern didgeridoo is usually cylindrical or conical and is between three to ten feet long (the longer the instrument, the lower the pitch).
Bollywood, in fact, has been using this instrument in several film compositions since the 90s, including the hit ‘Jaane Kyun’ from Dil Chahta Hai and other songs like ‘Free Tibet’ from the Psy- trance band ‘Highlight Tribe’. This instrument has been played by artistes such as David Charles Hudson, an Australian Aboriginal musician who was taught to play traditional didgeridoo from childhood. Chris Brooks, lead singer of the New Zealand hard rock band Like a Storm uses the didgeridoo in some of his songs including ‘Love the Way You Hate Me’.
Historically, it was considered a taboo for a woman to play the didgeridoo. Breaking the stereotype, many female players from countries as diverse as France and Tibet are playing the instrument. Kate Bush, an English singer-songwriter, musician was one of the earliest female players, who used the didgeridoo widely in her album ‘The Dreaming’.
It has also made its way to Bengaluru, what with the number of musicians from across the world playing in the city.
Bands like ‘Groove Tantriks’ who have been doing shows in spaces such as Soul Sante, Prost, and Blue Frog have become an audience favorite. Their band is known for its array of offbeat instruments including the Djembe (West African Drum) and the Didgeridoo. They play organic dance music with influences from various genres across the world. Djembes and didgeridoos are the main instruments in their acts, and are fused with a lot of synth work and guitar riffs. Groove Tantriks is about five years-old and Maharshi Benni, who is the didgeridoo player in the band says, “I first got to know about the instrument in school when I watched Lounge Piranha play. But I started to learn it when I discovered that you could make them out of PVC pipes.” Other bands such as Rhapsodies have also been using the instrument in their gigs. Psy Didge aka Abhijith, a didgeridoo artist, came up with the concept of healing and relaxation through the sounds of the didgeridoo. He calls this ‘Spanda’-- vibrational healing through didgeridoo.
Many Indians have been taking inspiration from the foreign tourists who are found jamming on the beaches of Gokarna or amidst the Himalayan hills. Tanaya Balwate, a working professiona and didgeridoo enthusiast, who recently went to Gokarna says, “It’s great to see people jamming with such amazing and unusual instruments. The whole vibe of the place becomes so lively and full of energy.”
In the meanwhile, there are a number of didigeridoo-based music festivals being conducted around the world, including the Garma Festival in Australia and the Didge and Djembe Festival in Germany.
The long, tapering instrument created by Australian aborigines has now made its home in Bengaluru.
For details on upcoming performances in Bengaluru, visit the Facebook pages of the bands.
