About the Deshima Ensemble
Dejima is small isle before the coast of Nagasaki on which Dutch people where allowed to stay for 400 years.
In 1991 I heard solo consert on drums by Takashi Kazamaki in the Apollohouse in Eindhoven. I liked his playing very much. His original way of playing snare drum and his use of silence. I talked with him after concert and the next day we exchanged some music.
We stayed in touch and in 1993 Kazamaki invited me to do some concerts with him in Japan. To prepare myself I started to study the Japanese language and to read a couple of books about Japanese culture as well.
But I really got involved when Idid the concerts, met the people and heard all music I never heard before. So I got this idea of the Dejima Ensemble. Each time I would invite different Japanese musicians to play with people from overhere.