dhapa-ganambarr
Homeland: Rorruwuy
Clan: Ŋaymil
Moiety: Dhuwa
Dhapa is the younger brother of celebrated artist Gunybi Ganambarr. He usually lives between Gangan and Dhanaya communities, but sometimes stays at Gunyuŋara.
Encouraged by his talented brother, Dhapa started to produce works of fine quality in 2009. In recent years he has been producing excellent yiḏaki.
What distinguishes Dhapa from other yiḏaki makers is his attention to detail and his innovation. His work is of consistently high quality, both acoustically and aesthetically. Being a skilled yiḏaki player, he is able to assess suitable stems and only cuts those that can be made into top quality instruments. He often travels far throughout the Miwatj region to areas where there are excellent naturally occurring stems waiting to be made into great yiḏaki. He often works together with Marikuku Wirrpanda.
With a strong sense of care with his work, he finely shapes and finishes his yiḏaki, with particular care given to the shape of the mouthpiece and the overall thickness of the timber. This aspect of his work has seen him rise to one of the most respected yiḏaki makers in a short space of time. His work is now sought after by musicians and collectors from all parts of the world.
