Gear up for sounds of Oz
Mark Atkins, known for his skills on didgeridoo, a traditional musical instrument, will be performing in the capital at the opening ceremony of the Oz Fest. Acknowledged as one of Australia’s finest aboriginal musicians, Atkins talks to us about his unique wind instrument and much more.
“The primitive beats of didgeridoo, a wind instrument made from the bark of a tree, is played mostly by the surviving aboriginal groups of northern Australia,” he adds. It creates a gripping musical environment, which Atkins has incorporated in several orchestral works, theatrical and dance presentations. He says, “With its sharp and insistent rhythm and its animal cries, didgeridoo is often used as a musical backdrop for both social and ceremonial dancing.”
The musician has worked with some of the leading composers and musicians like Philip Glass, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant among many others. “I love the process of making didgeridoos that involves selecting the right log of timber, clearing away the ants, thrashing it and clearing it of bark,” says Atkins.
A descendant of Western Australia’s Yamitji people, Atkins is also known as a storyteller, composer, percussionist, visual artist and instrument-maker. Atkins says, “A mixed response of curiosity and surprise is expected from Delhi people.” He promises “something exhilarating which they might have never witnessed.”
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