Do the didgeridoo! Mumbaikar looks to revive world's oldest instrument

The first time Mac played the didgeridoo his mother got a nasty headache The constant droning made her detest the sound and that ironically was what inspired him to take it up ldquoUnlike the guitar piano and violin therersquos no melody in it The sound is a compression wave that travels through the air When the didgeridoo is blown the waves travel down the inside of the instrument and emerge from the bottom endrdquo says Mac who shunned his real name Mayur Chhadwa for this moniker long ago He offers us no explanation for the swapMac fashions didgeridoos out of practically anything mdash cardboard plastic and PVC tubes PicPrabhanjan DhanuUsed for more than 1500 years the didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by indigenous Australians Interestingly the 30yearold from Mumbai not just peddles and teaches the instrument he has also been creating his own versions using tubes plastic bamboo sticks and washing machine pipesIn 2013 Mac created his first didgeridoo using a roll used for wrapping cloth around it at manufacturing units ldquoI also used cardboard that was lying around the houserdquo The resources he realised were simple mdash several types of plastic water pipes and beeswax to make a mouthpiece ldquoYou blow down the tube creating a vibration that echoes down the tube emerging amplified as a drone It is important to stay relaxed mdash trying too hard will tighten your muscles which contradicts the need to create loose lips and facerdquoThe toughest according to him was developing a special breathing technique called lsquocircular breathingrsquo mdash inhaling through the nose whilst simultaneously exhaling through the mouth ldquoIt is easier said than done Excessive hard blowing referred to as lsquooverblowingrsquo and lsquovocalisingrsquo are used to create dramatic effectsrdquo he explainsThe idea of creating his own version of the instrument came more out of necessity that creativity ldquoAfter listening to the sound of it on a record I was blown away So I visited almost all the shops selling the wooden didgeridoo in Mumbai to buy one only to return disappointed because they were selling it for close to R10000 The worst part was that some already had cracks on itrdquo he saysHaving quit his cushy job at a call centre Mac was forced to rely on his own resources to find a substitute ldquoWhen I read up on the instrument I realised all you need is a simple length of plastic pipe and some imaginationrdquo says the Dadar resident His saviour was a kind Bohri uncle who owns a plumbing shop outside Santacruz station ldquoI had a rough idea of what I wanted So I asked him for a specific type of pipe measuring of 115160 cm about 4562 inches I used the hacksaw file and knife to cut and smooth both ends of the tube removing any rough edges and fuzzy stuff left over from cutting And then played it in front of himrdquo he saysThe owner was so impressed that he gave Mac the pipes for a 50 per cent discount ldquoSince then Irsquove bought all the pipes from himrdquo he laughs The process cost him Rs 400 and took less than half an hour to finishOver time Mac has experimented with the didgeridoo He can now play techno house psychedelic trance and even meditative sounds on it ldquoResearchers believe that playing the didgeridoo strengthens the muscles of airways and relaxes the mindrdquo he tells us Proof of this was at a workshop he held where a 68yearold man broke down after listening to the sound ldquoHe was suffering from suicidal tendencies but the sound helped him recoverrdquoThese days Chaddwa spends his time at swanky corporate offices teaching professionals the art ldquoIrsquove created a module of 12 steps done over three months which teaches you to create and play the instrument on your ownrdquo The reactions he gets are extreme ldquoSome like my mum get a headache while others break into a jig You can love it or hate it You canrsquot ignore itrdquo he smilesHow to create your own didgeridoogtgt You can use a PVC pipe curtain rod or even a washing machine hose The pipe should be between 115160 cm in lengthgtgt Using the hacksaw cut the pipegtgt Get a small piece of natural beeswax from a hardware store Lay it inside a glass jar in the sun for half an hour Press that beeswax in a circle onto one end of the pipe smoothen and seal the inside of the mouthpiece Repeat process on the outsidegtgt To start make sure the lips arenrsquot tense but loose like a sloppy kiss slowly increase pressuregtgt Use the circular breathing technique mdash use only the air in your mouth to blow into the didgeridoo