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Tribal Music of Australia (1953)

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Djedbang-ari

Clip description

'Djedbang-ari’ is a three-part Indigenous manikay (song) and dance from the Yirrkala district in the far north-east of Arnhem Land.

Curator’s notes

by Sophia Sambono

There are breaks in the singing halfway through a stanza and dance scene, which is a feature of the manikay structure, and called 'stopping the dance, halfway’.

We can only hear the audio of the performances recorded by Elkin but the presence of the entire ceremony is felt as the dancers can be heard stamping their feet and uttering trills in the later verses. Dogs barking incidentally in the second part of the manikay add to the atmosphere of authenticity of this recording.

The recordings were made in the late 1940s and through the 1950s and include the incorporation of European influences into traditional song and dance. For example the first of these three pieces is an interpretation of the movies which a songman saw at a military camp during the war.

Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer Djedbang-ari from the music Tribal Music of Australia as a download.

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ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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tribalmu1_bb.mp3

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions. All rights are reserved.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may save, copy, print, distribute or download materials for your own personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes. Commercial exploitation of materials on this website is prohibited.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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