Twistedidge Didgeridoos
Quality Handcrafted Didgeridoos and World Instruments
About
Twistedidge the Didgeridoo Project
I have been handcrafting Didgeridoos in Malta since 2009, after discovering this magical instrument in Australia a year before. The Twistedidge Project started when I decided I needed a new didgeridoo after the cheap bamboo didge I had bought from a local festival cracked only after a few months playing. Being fond of woodcraft and since from a younger age I never hesitated to put my hands to handcraft, I decided that I should make a didgeridoo rather then purchasing one. After I successfully crafted my first didgeridoo from agave and surprisingly enough it came much better than expected, I decided to make another one and then another one until I ended up with about 20 or so didgeridoos all having different characteristics.
I quickly realised that apart from playing this amazing instrument I had an unstopable urge to make a new didgeridoo everytime I finished the previous one. I was hooked to the thrill one gets when an instrument is created from a piece of wood someone else may have not noticed or even discarded or burned. After a year or so I realised that the space I had for keeping my prized handcrafted instruments was running low and unfortunatley had to make the decision to start parting with some of the didges I made to make space for new ones.
As time went by I started experimenting with new materials and designs and also due to necessity slowly but surely transformed my garage into a small workshop. This way I did not have to rely on anyone because I lacked that type of tool or equipment for making my instruments, finally I could surmount the challenges brought in front of me by new projects and ideas I was having all the time.
Today when I look back from where I started I realise that I have gone a long way from that day I picked up the bamboo didgeridoo from that stall. My mind is relentlessly thinking of how I can better my instruments and what new designs and concepts I can come up with. Every time time I look at a ''blank'' log or a plank of wood before I start a new didge, I promise myself that this didgeridoo will be the best one I have made so far...
More on the Didgeridoo
Life through the eyes of a Didgeridoo can be described as a magical one, since as the Didgeridoo Custodians; the Aboriginal People of Australia believe, it opens the window to the Dreamtime World.
The Didge or more commonly know as Didgeridoo is a musical instrument which comes from the North Eastern parts of Australia. The name Didgeridoo as we know it in the West is an adopted name, as the original aboriginal name is Yidaki or Mago. The Aboriginal folks believe that every Didge has a dormant spirit living inside it, which wakes up when someone breathes into it the right way making the classical drone sound.
It is believed that the Yidaki is the oldest instrument played by man, which is believed to be as old as 40,000 years, however this has not been proved yet. However it is a fact that the Didge has formed an integral part of the social and ritual gatherings in aboriginal society for hundereds if not thousands of years.
It is an interesting thing to note that traditionally this intrument was only reserved to male players and was forbidden to the female counterparts. This is now changing and most aboriginal communities are now also accepting women as Didgeridoo players.
Malta My Island My Home
Why not combine your love for the Didgeridoo with an unforgetable holiday?
Want to visit the Twistedidge workshop? Want to see your didgeridoo being made?
Would you like to play the instrument before committing yourself to buying it?
So grab a cheap flight to the Maltese Islands and come over for a visit!
The Maltese archipelago lies virtually at the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km north of Africa.
The archipelago consists of three islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino with a total population of over 400,000 inhabitants occupying an area of 316 square kilometers.
Malta is the largest island and the cultural, commercial and administrative centre. Gozo is the second largest island and is more rural, characterised by fishing, tourism, crafts and agriculture. Comino, the smallest of the trio, has one hotel and is largely uninhabited.
In Malta you can span the millennia with an astonishing array ofthings to discover. And wherever you go, the scenery and architecture provide a spectacular backdrop. The colours are striking, honey-coloured stone against the deepest of Mediterranean blues.
Malta has been described as one big open-air museum. What makes it unique is that so much of the past is visible today. Delve into the island's mysterious prehistory, retrace the footsteps of St. Paul or see where the Knights of St. John fought their most famous battles.
Malta is holidaying as the mood takes you. And with near year-round sun, you can indulge in outdoor living at its best.
In just a kilometre or two, you can try a new sport, laze on an island cruise and tour the most important historic sites, and still have time to join in the nightlife. That's the real advantage of a stay here.
The island offers plenty of specialist holidays for those seeking to brush up their English, learn a new skill, discover history or get fit. If you're interested in sports, there's enough on offer to satisfy the seasoned enthusiast as well as the casual first-timer. Malta has wellness and spa facilities at the luxury hotels and club resorts. Sea and land lend themselves to activities from rock-climbing, diving, sailing, fishing to gentle rambling.
And, if this were not enough, there are the other two islands -Gozo and Comino -which can be a pleasant change-of-scene during your stay on the mainland or alternative destinations in themselves. The choice is yours...