Asheville is both greasy spoons and espresso bars, neckties and nose rings, Baptists and Buddhists. And besides, the didgeridoo, though foreign, is about as traditional as instruments come, with a history that some say dates back 40,000 years. Aboriginals, or indigenous Australians, typically make didgeridoos from eucalyptus trees hollowed out by termites and use the instruments to induce a meditative state. A didgeridoo festival near Joshua Tree National Park in California is set to bring in players from all across the country, and Australia, this month. The World Wide Web is crawling with sites dedicated to the didge.
Some players make their own didges with plastic pipes or bamboo.
Play the didgeridoo incorrectly, and it calls to mind a bad case of indigestion. Play it right, and its low, resonant hum can soothe the soul, players say. The group meets for about an hour each week at the French Broad Food Co-op downtown. Dyer says the didgeridoo's soothing tones have helped her fight depression. It just goes to your soul.