You can say it all began with the guitar, at the age of twelve. Or, maybe it was following his military service, with a backpack on his back, while exploring the wonders of great India. There was someone on the street playing the Bansuri, the Indian flute. He didn’t know Dudu was listening. He didn’t realize the way his life are about to change on account of that playing. It was the first link in a long chain of miraculous coincidental events, united only by a deep sense of determination and diligence.
On another occasion, the hypnotic sounds of a stringed instrument were heard on the street, drawing him even closer. He then began his search for information – what is the name of this instrument? Where can one find a teacher? Who to approach? Two names than surfaced: Vilayat Khan and Zia Muhiuddin Dagar, Two legendary musicians. But how can one reach them?
India, in its great chaotic powers, swirled all around him, until finally landing him in Varanasi, on the banks of the holy Ganga River. This ancient city first introduced him to Indian classical music and its stringed instruments. He found a sitar teacher, Bernd, and began taking lessons and practicing. Later on, Dudu decided to move to Delhi in order to find a teacher who could teach him how to play the Rudra Veena, one of India’s most ancient instruments and a very difficult one to master. He met with musician Shamsuddin Faridi, who introduced Dudu to the unique world of the Rudra Veena and to the Guru-Shishya Parampara – a term referring to the unique teacher-student lineage and relationship in Indian culture. Dudu devoted himself to his musical studies, a long way from his friends and family. His practicing was rigorous and the strings carved deep into his fingers.
After two years of studying, Dudu had the privilege of meeting, again by chance, the great musician Bahauddin Dagar, son of the legendary Rudra Veena player, the late Zia Muhiuddin Dagar. Dudu began taking lessons with Bahauddin in 1998. After four years of studying, he met with Shujaat Khan, son of the legendary sitar player, the late Vilayat Khan. Shujaat too accepted Dudu as his student and then, partly sponsored by a special grant from the Indian government, he began to teach him the fine intricacies of sitar playing. Dudu even invited Shujaat to play a concert in Israel.
Today, after more than a decade of studying in India, Dudu lives in Israel and teaches both the sitar and the Rudra Veena. His own teachers sometime visit him in Israel and have concerts there.
