Didjeridu — från Arnhem Land till Internet — och tillbaka

Tre perspektiv på kulturell exotism, globalisering och makt

Abstract

The didjeridu, a musical instrument once used only by Australian aboriginies in north Arnhem Land, has within little more than ten years become spread worldwide. Not only has it become a symbol of black aboriginality in Australia, but it has also taken place among koalas and bumerands as a symbol of Australianess. It has also become widely used as a symbol of indigeniety among indigenous peoples and their spokesmen all over the world. Another large group of didjeridu-fans are "alternative lifestyles" and "New-Age" devotees, for which the didjeridu represents, among other things, an immediate connection to Mother Earth and the spiritual world. In this article the fast transition from North Arnhem Land to Internet and back is examined, from three perspectives: the tourist's, the musicologist's and the cultural analyst's. It is argued that an important reason behind the fast spread of the instrument is a major shift in the control of the knowledge of the instrument from "knowers" to "doers", and that the global visibility reflects and strengthens rather than challenges the basic assymetrical power relations between blacks and whites, rulers and the ruled.