Last week, as Theo and I were leaving a shopping center, we
spotted this aboriginal man on his bicycle with a didgeridoo. I
love the modern and traditional elements going on here. So
what’s a didgeridoo, you ask? It’s a wind instrument developed
by indigenous Australians a thousand years or so ago. It’s made
out of a hollow tree that is cleaned out and shaped. Beeswax may
be applied to the mouthpiece end and the instrument may be
painted or left natural. The didgeridoo is played using a
special breathing technique to continuously vibrate the lips and
produce a drone. The didgeridoo is not just a musical
instrument. It’s also a ceremonial instrument that traditionally
only men play; women sometimes play it informally. Some
indigenous Australians believe it’s cultural theft for non-
indigenous Australians to play or even touch it, but it’s quite
a popular product in tourist shops, like the ones shown above
from the Queen Victoria Market.