Guest
If Adam Marrilaga were the ultimate yirdaki technician, his older brother Quincey Matjaki must surely come a close second. Matjaki has come a long way since I first heard him play yirdaki. Perhaps he was out of practice then, or has improved considerably since, but whichever way it might be, this clip kicks arse. Listen to Matjaki’s technical execution as well as the pace he manages to get up to, he maintains very strong technique even when pumping it at blistering speed. The finesse of Larry Winiwini and the precision of Marrilaga are apparent in Matjaki’s style of play. It will be hard to let go of this stick, a stunning instrument made by Bruce Burrngupurrngu with concentrated power. The acoustics are finely structure with outstanding resolution, super-sweet overtone note, and ochre-rendered Dhalwangu miny’tji to die for. This is a yirdaki of high pedigree and cultural integrity, the result of a Burrngupurrngu-Djul’djul husband and wife team. Burrngupurrngu and Djul’djul talked at length over the phone about this yirdaki before I finally set eyes on this spectacular piece of work.
