Didgeridoo Artist brings music to campus

On Friday afternoon, Wilder Bowl is being transformed from a plot of grass into a magical and mystical haven and centrifuge of dancing and celebration.

Allen Smith, a native of Oberlin, will visit the campus to kick off "See the Music/Hear the Colors/ Create the Process: Informal Cultural Dance and Music Exchange."

Smith will delight participants with music from the didgeridoo, an earthy-sounding Australian aboriginal wind instrument. He has been playing the didgeridoo for about six years and said he is one of the better players in the country.

"I like to pass on the message of the didgeridoo wherever I go," said Smith.

The didgeridoo is an instrument more than 40,000 years old. It is known to have a spiritual message and "always brings people back to their primal roots," according to Smith.

The performance will also feature cultural music and dance demonstrations from Brazil, India, Latin America, West Africa and the United States.

"Hopefully with a good drummer, I'll be able to belt out some good rhythms and somebody in this town can get loose and free," Smith said.