David Hudson – Rainbow Serpent

David Hudson – Rainbow Serpent
CD review by Chris Spencer
The subtitle of this album, Music for Didgeridoo and percussion, is for many of you, a succinct description of the music you’ll hear on this CD. If you have little interest in didgeridoo music, you can stop reading now.
This CD, recorded in 1994, has a CD slick that explains the use of the didgeridoo among aborigines providing a brief overview of the role of the Rainbow Serpent in aboriginal story telling. The CD is aimed at the tourist wanting perhaps to take home a sample of aboriginal music. Hudson has released several albums of similar music, as well as narrating dreamtime stories and recording a country music album with Mark Mannock recording a Shane Howard song.
I’ll admit I am not an authority of didgeridoo music, so I am not well placed to review this album on its musical merits, nor assess the dexterity of Hudson’s playing. I could perhaps initiate discussion as to whether the didgeridoo is a folk instrument. What is the definition of a folk instrument?
If a bodhran is accepted as a traditional folk instrument, can the (message) sticks used by aborigines be classified as a folk instrument? For those of you who wish to pursue this album further, some of the tracks include “Bali Doo” where Hudson blows a soft percussive sound that could resemble the waves caressing the beach.
“Message Stick” has the more familiar drone; “Frenzy” has a more upbeat rhythm as might be expected and the occasional unusual sound or cacophony to create the sense of chaos. “Laura’s Festival” and “New Beginning” provide the album’s two keystones, both being over 7 minutes in length, the latter being more of an atmospheric piece rather than describing an event or story.
Of interest to fans of didgeridoo music.