He is an "ambassador of Indian classical music all over the world," according to quality newspaper The Hindu. "An Indian in the body of a Dutchman," say friendly Indian musicians. How a boy from Friesland became one of the world's most gifted tablet players.
Photo: Michiel Hulshof
In 1993, 18-year-old Heiko Dijker from the Frisian village of Oentsjerk walked to the motorway and gave it a thumbs-up. He was going to hitchhike around the world - that was the plan. The young Frisian travelled through Eastern Europe, Turkey, Iran, spent seven months in Pakistan and then ended up in the Indian capital Delhi. There, at a concert by the famous Indian singer Kishori Amonkar, he heard the tabla for the first time. "Virtuoso," remembers Dijker (43). "As if there was a whole orchestra in those little drums."
Dijker had never played an instrument before, but making music was a long-cherished wish. The day after the concert, he bought a tabla for 200 rupees and the lesson book Learn To Play Tabla In 24 Hours. He soon realised that he needed a teacher to learn to play the instrument. Dijker found one in the beach town of Gokarna in the southern state of Karnataka.
Heiko Dijker with his guru
In Gokarna, hours of practice began. Ten hours a day, sitting cross-legged, for more than three and a half years. In between, he travelled back to the Netherlands three times - hitchhiking - to earn money at home. "After a while, my progress stopped. My tabla teacher in Gokarna could not help me: he was blind, so he could not improve my technique. At a concert in India, I met someone who told me that some famous Indian tabla masters were teaching at the Conservatory in Rotterdam. I applied for the course and was accepted. That's also where I met the legendary grandmaster Ustad Faiaz Khan (1934 - 2014), with whom I continued to be an apprentice for many years after obtaining my master's degree.
With Faiaz Khan, Dijker developed a classic master-apprentice relationship. "We had a very special connection. In Delhi, I lived in his house, just like Rembrandt's pupils used to do. I would play, while he would snore on the sofa. If I made a mistake, he would wake up from his sleep."
Thanks to all those hours of training, Dijker himself has now become a tabla player of considerable stature. The Dutchman gives lectures, workshops and concerts all over the world: from Germany to China and from France to Mexico. He produces his own music, experiments a great deal (for the album Tablatronic, for example, he mixed tabla with electronic music) and sets up all kinds of collaborations, including with the Scapino Ballet and the Zeeuws Symphonie Orkest. This month sees the start of a series of performances with the Matangi Quartet, known from the television programme Podium Witteman. "That is truly a dream collaboration. It is fantastic to make even more beautiful music together. You're never done learning the tabla.
Heiko Dijker is an associate of IndiaConnected. Interested in a lecture, workshop or living room concert of Heiko? Please feel free to contact us!