World-renowned Japanese musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto has passed away at the age of 71. His death was announced by his management company Avex, which stated that Sakamoto had been suffering from cancer.
Sakamoto is best known for his film scores for Hollywood blockbusters, including ‘The Revenant’ and 'Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence'. His most celebrated work was his music from 'The Last Emperor', which won him an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Grammy in 1988. Sakamoto was also an actor and made appearances in 'Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence' and 'The Last Emperor'.
As stated by Nikkei Asia, Sakamoto started off as a studio musician while at the Tokyo University of the Arts and worked with other acclaimed Japanese musicians including Tatsuro Yamashita and Taeko Ohnuki. Aside from his film scores, Sakamoto also co-founded the electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) with fellow musicians Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi. The band was groundbreaking during its time for its use of electronic instruments.
Sakamoto released his 12th and final studio album ‘12’ in January 2023.
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