"Didge Man" Omid Aski Laridjani Shares His Story of the Didgeridoo

"Didge Man" Omid Aski Laridjani has spent time with the Yolngu tribe in northern Austraila learning about and experiencing the ancient culture of the didgeridoo. In this video he shares his connection to this instrument.

Video Highlights:

• The didgeridoo is a wind instrument that comes from the northern territory of Australia.
• It is a powerful tool, an invitation to learn your instinctive language. The language of energy.
  • What do I mean by that? When you see trees dance to the wind directions - if the west wind comes, they dance one way, if the east wind comes, they dance different.
• If you look at a tree, just like a child does for the first time, watch the pattern. Use your hands to clap the way the tree dances and make a pattern of your own. This instrument gives you voice to that rhythm.
• Once you see patterns of nature, you see the way certain birds fly, you see the way fish move, you see water patterns. There are unlimited patterns.
• Watch the patterns and create the rhythm with your hands. Then come home and sing the pattern with the didgeridoo.

• Technically, the didgeridoo is played by making a vibration with your lips. In addition, your tongue moves, your breath moves, your diaphragm engages and your vocal chords are activated.
• To play the instrument you buzz your lips, move your tongue, use your vocal chords,
• Your blood and respiratory system should start moving in the pattern that you have in your hands.
• As you go out in nature to collect the rhythms you gain freedom and connect your heart to the land. You gain visions of how things are connected.
• Learn from the gentle voice of mother earth, how she sings and dances. It is an invitation to open your heart to her.
• This instrument comes from one specific tribe living in northern Australia, Yolngu.
• They practice the way to connect the patterns of the land and that has transformed the community into poets as they share their experiences.
• Once you speak from the connections, poetry comes out of you like a waterfall.
• Today they have patterns for paintings for every single part of the land. They have songs, rhythms and dances.
• The didgeridoo accompanies songmen, the elders that have paid attention to these beautiful patterns and they sing about it.
• Imagine walking barefoot from one place to another and take in the experience all the patterns that you see using all of your senses.
• Use paintings, songs and dances to share the patterns with the community like gifts.
• The didgeridoo is like a powerful, cultural baton that has been passed down for many generations.
• Today the Yolngu people have many connections that they share through music and art about every part of the land. There are stories about the flight patterns of seagulls and of how dolphins feed.
• The didgeridoo creates a healing space through rhythmic diversity and you gain what you were born to do which is sing and dance to the patterns of the land.
• The didgeridoo fosters this diversity and allows you to connect to the land from your own home.