Ryuichi Sakamoto, the award-winning musician and composer, is no more in this world. The news of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s death has left the fans with an outpouring of grief. The fans expressed condolences and wished him a peaceful afterlife. Japanese publication, Sponichi reported about Sakamoto’s death on March 28 this year, and the news got confirmed on the artist’s official Twitter account. He took his last breath and said goodbye to his life at the age of 71.
Ryuichi Sakamoto was an innovative musical genius known for his electronic experiments and avant-garde music. He was a Japanese composer, pianist, producer, and actor with a career span of over four decades. Sakamoto was a talented artist who rose to fame with his unique blend of classical, rock, electronic, and world music. He earned various prestigious accolades, which include the Order of the Rising Sun, one of Japan’s highest honors, an Academy Award, and a Grammy Award. His works carried uniqueness within themselves. The works he did is not just an exploration of music but also give a reflection of his social and political beliefs.
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What is the reason for Ryuichi Sakamoto’s death?
According to a statement regarding Ryuichi Sakamoto’s death which was published on his website, he died on March 28 after his battle against cancer for many years. The artist had been struggling with cancer for a long span of time.
In June 2014, Ryuichi Sakamoto was diagnosed to be suffering with oropharyngeal cancer. He had taken a break from his work to get treatment. Eventually, he recovered, and afterward, he resumed his work the following year. He told that he was feeling better. However, in January 2021, he got diagnosed with rectal cancer. This time, Sakamoto came up with a decision. He stated that he made the decision to live with the disease and fight it. He also told that he would continue making new music. He took it to his website in 2021 and thanked his doctors for the success of his surgery. He wrote:
“Due to these circumstances, traveling long distances for work will be difficult. Still, I will continue to work as much as I can during treatment … From now on, I will be living alongside cancer. But, I am hoping to make music for a little while longer.”
The Early Life and Career of Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto was born in Tokyo in the year of 1952. He developed an interest in music in his childhood. The artist started by playing his first instrument, the piano, from a young age.
Later on, he attended the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He formed the electronic music group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi during his time in university.
The group’s music was an enthralling amalgamation of traditional Japanese music, pop, and electronic music. They quickly came to spotlight and became popular in Japan and later at international level too. The influence and talent of their group can be heard in the music of some renowned artists like Daft Punk, Kraftwerk, and Depeche Mode.
In 1984, Yellow Magic Orchestra was disbanded. After that, Sakamoto embarked on a solo career. His first solo album was “Thousand Knives,” which was released in 1978. Moving next, his second album, “B-2 Unit,” was released in 1980. Both of these albums showcased his experimental approach towards music and featured collaborations with artists such as Adrian Belew, David Byrne, and Iggy Pop.
In the mid-1980s, Sakamoto started to work on film soundtracks. He composed the score for the film “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” starring David Bowie. This was followed by many more film works, including the score for Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor,” for which he was honored with an Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1988.
He has also collaborated with other musicians, including Thomas Dolby, David Sylvian, and Alva Noto. In particular, his collaborated work with David Sylvian, have produced some of his most critically acclaimed albums, which include “Brilliant Trees” in 1984 and “Dead Bees on a Cake” in 1999.
His music has made him globally recognized and one of Japan’s most influential figures. Art is immortal! Thus, even after Ryuichi Sakamoto’s death, he is going to be alive in remembrance of the fans in the form of his art! His music.
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