"He was the first full-blood Aboriginal to make the trip to England since Bennelong went home with Philip 1792. "Rolf Harris
"Blanasi is responsibal for bringing the didjeridu outside Australia, he is the one who once started the popularity for didjeridu amongst Balanda"
L. W.
"My father was famous all over the world, he was the Didjeridu Master"Darryl Dikarrna, White Cockatoo
David Blanasi
One of the most senior men in the region an co-funder of The White Cockatoo Performing Group was the mago (didjeridu) master Mr. David Blanasi. Mr. Blanasi travelled and performed extensively throughout the world for over three decades and brought the mago to national and international prominence for the first time.
His extraordinary virtuosity made him the "free jazz" master of the Western Arnhem land "Gunborg" tradition, where the continious drone of mago is syncopated in time with the songmen.
Photo: Rolf Harris, L. Wallin.
1952 Tour of Sydney with Rolf Harris. Tour of Northern Territory.
1962 United Kingdom tour with Rolf Harris. TV and variety shows. Toured with Rolf Harris trough Western and South Australia.
David Blanasi. London 1967
1968 Hawaiian Tour with The Mialli Dancers.
1969 Japan tour with The Mialli Dancers and Melville Island dance troup.
1971 New Zeeland and Western Samoa tour
1972-73 Tour of Mexico
1973-74 Victorian country tour. NSW school tour with David Gulpilil.
1975 Sydney tour. Opera house with Rolf Harris. Cairns, Palm Island & Papua New Guinea - MT Hagen festival.
1976 USA California Solo Tour. Israel tour.
1977 France Tour with Gulpilil and Mialli Dancers
1978 Sydney Tour with David Gulpilil, Rolf Harris and Djoli Laiwanga.
1988 United Kingdom tour.
1994 Feature Artist Framed Gallery Exhibition in Darwin, Melbourne.
1996 Australia Tour.
1997 Rewarded Raymond Fordimail, Art Award Barunga festival. Recorded Memories with Djoli Laiwonga
1998 Tour of America, Canada and England. Start White Cockatoo Performning Group
1999 USA Westcoast Tour.
2000 Opening World Expo Germany, Tour of Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, England and Ireland.
2001 Womad Festival. David Blanasis Final Performance. White Cockatoo Mago Bushtour.
A master instrument craftsmen, talented visual artist and Wugularr elder from the Mialili laungage group. David was born around 1930. As a young boy he lived on his traditional land at Kundirri in central southern Arnhem land. David remembers learning to plat the mago at an early age. "My father used to cut didjeridus for me as a young child - little ones - and he used to play all the time".
"Sometimes we´d be travelling all the time from Arnhem Land, from Kundirri, and I used to carry it with me. If I lost it I would have to go back and get it". "People call me ´The Bomb` because I play the didjeridu very hard, straight out! No mucking around!".
Sadly, in the year 1998, Western Arnhem Land lost David Blanasi´s life long partner and incomparable songmaster Djoli Laiwonga (The Black Cockatoo). In august 2001 Mr. Blanasi (The White Cockatoo) went missing from his community. The circumstances of the mago master´s disapperance remain a mystery. According to tribal law their tradition was passed on to the senior songmasters Jack Nawalill, David Yirindilli and Mr. Blanasi´s mago apprentiance Darryl Dikarrna. Jack, David and Darryl have inherited this corroboree in what is one of the world´s oldest unbroken traditions.
David Blanasi & The White Cockatoo
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London 1967
It all started with being asked to do the first concert in the new Sydney Opera House. I was thrilled and determined to make the show as Australian as I could. I wanted fifteen backingsingers who were young, enthusiastic, and sounded like Australians when they sang, I also put in a request for David Blanasi and Djoli Laiwonga.
These two full-blood Aboriginal men from Bamyili in The Northern Territory. My association with them began with David in 1967, when he was the first full-blood Aboriginal to make the trip to England since Bennelong went home with Philip 1792. David flew over for my television show, stayed with us in London and loved it, said the house was a good place to camp, and mentioned that the television theatre would make a good cave. He was stunningly good on televison, with tremndous dignity and manhood and humour coming through - a big hit.
He said that next time I should bring his brother Djoli over, and as well as hearing David play the didgeridoo we could see and hear Djolidance and sing. I ran into David again 1969 in the first walkabout I did when we called in on him at his home in Bamyili. We got on very well again and I met Djoli, a very shy man when it comes to communicating in English, laughing to cover his embarrasment, but a joy to watch in his songs and dance".
Rolf Harris "Rolf goes bush" 1975
MISSING DIGERIDOO-ER: Australia's most famous digeridoo player is missing. Is he dead? "His community has become caught up in a supernatural rumour mill and both black and white spiritualists claim to be in contact with him. David Blanasi is said to have wandered off to collect wood to make digeridoos on August 6." Despite an extensive search, he's still missing. The Australian 09/11/01
David Blanasi Appears on the following recordings
David Blanasi
Didjeridu Master
Label Information: Big Bang Records
Media Type: CD
Year: 1998
The David Blanasi Tribute Album
Artist/Collector: David Blanasi & The White Cockatoo Performing Group.
Label Information: Big Bang Records
Media Type: CD
Year: 2002
White Cockatoo
Featuring didjeridu legend David Blanasi
Label: Arcmusic
Media Type: CD
Year: 2005
Arnhem Land Popular Classics: Field recordings of traditional dijeridoo by Australian Aboriginal Elders
Artist/Collector: LaMont West
Label Information: Originally released on LP: Wattle Ethnic Series, No. 3LP - Wattle D-5. CD is recording of only existing copy of LP released by Tribal Voices 18017 107th SW Vashon WA 9807
Media Type: CD from LP
Year: 1963
Bamyili Corroboree: Songs of Djoli Laiwanga
Artist/Collector: David Blanasi and Djoli Laiwanga
Label Information: Grevillea Records: GRV-1030
Media Type: LP
Year: 1976
Songs of Bamyili: Traditional Aboriginal Music of Australia (Featuring Didgeridoo)
Artist/Collector: David Blanasi
Label Information: Aboriginal Artists Agency: AAA-01CASS
Media Type: Cassette
Year: 1977
Les Aborigenes: Chants et danses de l'Australie du nord
Artist/Collector: David Blanasi
Label Information: Arion Paris ARN 64056
Media Type: CD
Year: Recorded 1979; Released 1994
Didjeridu Master
Artist/Collector: David Blanasi
Label Information: Big Bang Records
Media Type: CD
Year: 1998
The David Blanasi Tribute Album
Artist/Collector: David Blanasi & The White Cockatoo Performing Group.
Label Information: Big Bang Records
Media Type: CD
Year: 2002
White Cockatoo
Featuring didjeridu legend David Blanasi
“… breathtaking didjeridu playing…, an elemental force…” Songmen and didjeridu players from Arnhem Land, Northern Territory of Australia, with didjeridu legend David Blanasi and his successor Darryl Dikarrna Brown. Extensive information in English, German, French and Spanish in the richly illustrated 36-page colour booklet. 31 tracks, total playing time: 62:10 mins. Arcmusic.
More information >>> www.arcmusic.co.uk
David Blanasi & Djoli Laiwonga: "Memories". Cassette, year 197?
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1. Didjeridu Documentary (27mins/1997) A journey with Charlie McMahon to discover the roots of didj Aboriginal Arnhem Land. Includes song &dance from actual ceremonies
2. Svargo K. Freitag & David Blanasi:
Learn to play the didjeridu -94.
David Blanasi & Tom Kelly interview by Lars Wallin
Add to My Profile | More VideosDavid Blanasi & Tom Kelly interviewed by Lars Wallin
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