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 bumerangs 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 lifestylers’ and ’New-Age’ devotees, for which the didjeridu represents, among other things, a immideate connection to Mother Earth and the spiritual world. In this articel 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 sthrengthens rather than challenges the basic assymetrical power relations between blacks and whites, rulers and the ruled.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hgo-362 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Ronström, Owe |
| Publisher | Högskolan på Gotland, Avdelningen för Samhällsgeografi och etnologi, Stockholm : Rosima |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Chapter in book, info:eu-repo/semantics/bookPart, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | Kampen för erkännande : studier i makt och motstånd, p. 231-262 |
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