Who is Djalu Gurruwiwi?
Djalu Gurruwiwi is a Yolngu elder from Galiwinku on Elcho Island and one of the world's most respected masters of the yidaki, the Yolngu name for the didgeridoo. He is a custodian of yidaki knowledge.
Djalu belongs to the Galpu clan. He learned to make and play the yidaki from his father and grandfather, and he has spent his life passing this knowledge to his family and to students from around the world.
He is famous for crafting yidaki from termite-hollowed stringybark trees, selecting and finishing each instrument with great care so that it carries the correct sound and spiritual meaning.
Healing and teaching
Djalu is known for using the yidaki in healing practices, playing sound over people's bodies. Students travel to Elcho Island to learn from him.
He has performed and taught internationally, sharing Yolngu culture with audiences in Europe, Asia and North America, and his family continues his work through teaching and instrument making.
Djalu is related to the late singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu through the Galpu clan, and he has appeared in documentaries about the yidaki. Many players consider an instrument made by Djalu to be among the finest in the world.
Did You Know?
In Yolngu culture, the yidaki is linked to ancestral stories, and certain designs and songs belong to specific clans.