The organisers of a concert in Broome, North Western Australia, featuring one of the country's leading didgeridoo players say they regret having to cancel at the eleventh hour.
William Barton has played around Australia and the world, blending the didgeridoo with symphony orchestras but there were objections when the Queensland musician tried to perform in Broome last night.
Some of the town's Yawuru people claimed the concert, which also featured three other classical musicians, was disrespectful to their culture because the didgeridoo wasn't being played in a traditional context.
Artistic Director, Tos Mahoney, says the musicians were devastated at having to cancel.
"The tour was as much about the music as about a great example of reconciliation."
The controversy has left uncertainty in the town's vibrant music industry over when the ancient instrument can now be played
2 comments:
This is particularly interesting as William Barton is himself also Aboriginal
Yes John, but William is from Mt Isa I understand and therefore from a completly different culture really. The idea of a single Aboriginality is problematic- I remember the surprise I felt on the Atherton Tablelands seeing the history of Aboriginal groups there and how different they were from the peoples I had encoutered in S.E Queensland, around Sydney, from the Gippsland and Western Cape York. Have you seen this map:
http://www.didgeridoos.net.au/Buttons/abo-australia-map-large.gif
Amazing!!
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