Globally renowned Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto famed for his haunting score to “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” and won an Oscar for 1987’s “The Last Emperor” died. He was 71. His management team announced that he died on March 28. He had been treated for cancer in recent years.
Ryuichi Sakamoto was musician, composer, and actor who is widely regarded as one of the most influential electronic music artists of the 20th century. Born on January 17, 1952, in Tokyo, Japan, Sakamoto began playing the piano at the age of three and was composing his own music by the age of ten.
Sakamoto rose to international fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a founding member of the electronic music trio Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). The group’s innovative sound combined elements of electronic music, pop, and traditional Japanese music, and they achieved great success both in Japan and overseas.
After YMO disbanded in 1984, Sakamoto embarked on a successful solo career, releasing a string of critically acclaimed albums that explored a wide range of musical styles, from ambient and experimental to classical and jazz. His 1983 solo album “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” which featured the hit single “Forbidden Colours,” solidified his status as a leading figure in contemporary music.
In addition to his work as a musician, Sakamoto has also established himself as a respected composer for film and television, working on scores for such acclaimed films as “The Last Emperor” (1987) and “The Revenant” (2015), for which he won an Academy Award. He has also collaborated with a wide range of artists across different genres, including David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Alva Noto.
In recent years, Sakamoto has become increasingly involved in environmental activism and has used his music to raise awareness of issues such as climate change and deforestation. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but made a full recovery and has continued to work on new music and collaborate with other artists.
Throughout his long and illustrious career, Ryuichi Sakamoto has remained one of the most innovative and influential musicians of his generation, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible in electronic music and beyond.
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