David
Blanasi
David Blanasi was born in 1930 and he became the undisputed mago master
craftsman, he was also a senior and highly respected Wugularr
elder and co-founder
of The White Cockatoo Performing Group.
David Blanasi travelled and performed extensively throughout the world
for over three decades and brought the mago to national and international
prominence for the first time.
His extraordinary
virtuosity made him the 'free jazz' master of the Western Arnhem land
"Gunborg" tradition, where the continious drone of mago is
syncopated in time with the songmen.
Sadly,
in the year 1998, Western Arnhem Land lost David Blanasi´s life
long partner and incomparable songmaster Djoli Laiwonga (The Black Cockatoo).
In august 2001 David Blanasi (The White Cockatoo) went missing from
his community.
The circumstances of the mago master´s disappearance remain a
mystery.
According to tribal law their tradition was passed on to the senior
songmasters Jack Nawalill, David Yirindilli and David Blanasi´s
mago apprentice Darryl
Dikarrna
