WOMAD

David Blanasi and White Cockatoo Performing Group

From Australia

Widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest exponents of the didjeridu, David Blanasi, a Wugularr elder from the Miaili language group, Northern Territory, brings his traditional dance and performance group White Cockatoo to Womadelaide for the first time in 2001.  David ‘Bomb’ Blanasi, called so because “he plays the didjeridu very hard, straight out, no muckin’ around”, was born around 1930 and learned to play the didjeridu at an early age. He is recognised for his wide repertoire and musical skills accompanying ceremonial song and dance, which has kept David busy and in demand throughout Arnhem Land for much of his life. David has travelled and performed extensively throughout the world for over three decades, bringing the instrument to national and international prominence for the first time.  In the ‘60s, David taught Australian entertainer Rolf Harris how to play the instrument, appearing on Rolf’s first BBC TV show.  In 1998, David was invited back to the UK to perform with Rolf, marking a 32 year reunion. As well as master of performance on the didjeridu, David is a master craftsmen, producing high quality didjeridu for sale. The White Cockatoo Performing Group hail from Arnhem Land, a region rich in traditional Aboriginal ceremony and law. The company’s songmen are Mr Jack Nawilil and Mr David Yirindilli, elder songmen from Maningrida skilled in the rhythmic use of voice and click sticks in corroboree. Dance captain is Horace Walla Walla, former didjeridu player and lead singer of The Sunrize Band, and didjeridu accompanist and apprentice to David Blanasi, is Darryl Brown.  The company has toured internationally over the last few years, performing in Canada, the United States, the UK and Europe.