Ryuichi Sakamoto, the world-renowned electronic and avantgarde musician and composer, passed away on March 28th at the age of 71. Record label Avex published a statement about
Sakamoto's death on his
official website.
The artist was battling cancer, after being diagnosed with it again in June 2020.
Whenever his health would allow,
Sakamoto created works at his home studio. Just recently, the release of a new compilation titled
TRAVESÍA was announced. The album is said to span decades of
Sakamoto's
career, featuring works selected by film director
Alejandro González Iñárritu. Its release is planned for May 5th. The compilation will be available digitally, as well as on CD and vinyl.
At the end of the 1970s,
Sakamoto was one of the founding members of electro pop band
Yellow Magic Orchestra (
YMO), who rapidly became one of Japan’s most popular and influential musical acts.
In 1983, together with
David Bowie, he starred in the film "Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence". In 1987, he won an Oscar, a Grammy and a Golden Globe for his film score for "The Last Emperor", an epic movie about the last emperor of China.
Through the years, he explored a variety of musical styles and genres.
You can read the full statement on
Sakamoto's death below:
"An Announcement
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of artist and musician,
Ryuichi Sakamoto, on the 28th of March, 2023. He was 71 years old.
While undergoing treatment for cancer discovered in June 2020,
Sakamoto continued to create works in his home studio whenever his health would allow. He lived with music until the very end.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to his fans and all those who have supported his activities, as well as the medical professionals in Japan and the U.S. who did everything in their power to cure him.
In accordance with
Sakamoto's strong wishes, the funeral service was held among his close family members. Please understand that we are unable to accept any calls of condolences, offerings of incense or flowers, and the like.
Finally, we would like to share one of
Sakamoto's favorite quotes:
"Ars longa, vita brevis."
Art is long, life is short.
While many will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief.
April 2nd, 2023
Kab America Inc.
Kab inc."
The JaME team would like to express our deepest condolences to Sakamoto Ryuichi's family and friends.
