"Kurdaitcha": Mamaleek and Aboriginal Punishment

"Kurdaitcha (known also as Kurdaitcha man) is a ritual ‘executioner’ in the culture of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia, in particular the Arrernte people of Central Australia. The job of a Kurdaitcha was to avenge the death of a person by killing the enemy of the deceased, often with the use of magic."   (ancient-origins.net)

What's up, it's been a minute.

Since my dive into Mamaleek's latest studio album, Vida Blue, I've been hooked on this band, man. I've gone back through almost all of their catalogue since, and to be honest, I haven't been this excited about finding a new band to be a fan of in a long time. Regardless of your potential taste, I firmly believe that Mamaleek is a group worth experiencing, just to see where music has the capability of going. 

Mamaleek's music very often conceptually engages with a variety of cultural histories. This applies very little in terms of "lyricism". Mamaleek is not a band that you seek out for well spoken, clear communication. While there are certainly words being spoken, they are more so in the forms of wailing, grating chants of their own making, and gutteral tantrums. The magic of their music consistently lies in the progressions and instrumental storytelling of their songs. That being said, the unique and visceral storytelling of Mamaleek is often aided by an understanding of what the hell they're even depicting for you. The concepts they engage with are not so hard to understand as much as they are simply uncommon.

Kurdaitcha is Mamaleek's third project and very intentionally engages (albeit abstractly and esoterically) with the term by which it's named after. A term for an aboriginal "shaman" of sorts whose responsibility is to enact vengeance on those considered guilty of murdering/influencing the death of another. 

But this is what fascinates me, and likely Mamaleek: When a Kurdaitcha is brought in, and it is decided that accused party is guilty, the Kurdaitcha will commonly execute them via a process known as "bone pointing" in which the Kurdaitcha points a bone at the victim; inflicting no physical harm, but instead enacting a curse on the victim that eventually leads to their death. This death is characterized by sudden illness and consistent refusal of food/nourishment until their eventual demise.

With all of this context, Kurdaitcha loses much of its ambiguity and exposes the layer of emotion and spiritual cruelty that it portrays.

"Wake up, Jacob" becomes a portrayal of a man suddenly woken and pulled from his residence only to be dragged across an arid, desolate, desert landscape to be put to trial for their supposed actions, and the viscera of a sudden flood of self-grief. 

"My Body Rock Long Fever" is now narrating the ritual of bone pointing and the curse that has been inflicted upon this man, the sickness that his soul has now been marked with, and the suffering that ensues.

"You Can Bury Me in the East" paints the picture of this man's body being once again dragged across this brutal, whistling landscape towards its burial site.

And "The White Marble Stone" is now a shot of the grave, newly marked and sitting plainly among a vast emptiness. There are few moments where Mamaleek's lyrics are decipherable, but screams of "Take me home," can be heard faintly reaching out beyond this bleak, violent, yet accepting instrumental. 

I don't know man. This album just kicks ass and is worth at least attempting to appreciate. Mamaleek's interest towards more obscure cultural/religious histories/mythologies provides a musical experience that is both incredibly original and rich with storytelling if you know what you're listening to. So hopefully I've informed you.

Regards,

CEO