Ryuichi Sakamoto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ryuichi Sakamoto
Sakamoto in 2008
Born	(1952-01-17)January 17, 1952 Tokyo, Japan
Died	March 28, 2023(2023-03-28) (aged 71)
Education	Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (M.A.)
Occupation	Musician record producer actor activist
Years active	1975–2023
Spouse(s)	Akiko Yano ​ ​ (m. 1982; div. 2006)​ Norika Sora ​ (after 2006)​
Children	4, including Miu
Musical career
Genres	Electronic pop world classical experimental ambient film score
Instruments	Keyboard synthesizer vocals
Labels	Columbia Alfa MIDI Sony Japan EMI For Life Warner Commmons A&M Restless
Associated acts	Yellow Magic Orchestra Akiko Yano Chris Mosdell Japan David Sylvian Sketch Show Carsten Nicolai David Toop Taeko Onuki
Japanese name
Kanji	坂本 龍一
Hiragana	さかもと りゅういち
Transcriptions Romanization Sakamoto Ryūichi

Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本 龍一, Sakamoto Ryūichi, January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023) was a Japanese composer, music producer, and actor. He explored many different music styles. He was famous as a solo artist and as a member of the band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto helped create many types of electronic music.

Sakamoto started his music journey in the 1970s while at university. He played music for other artists, produced songs, and arranged music. His first big success was in 1978 when he co-founded YMO. At the same time, he also started his solo career. He released his first experimental electronic album, Thousand Knives, in 1978.

Two years later, he released B-2 Unit. This album included the song "Riot in Lagos". This song was very important for the development of electro and hip hop music. He continued to make more solo albums and worked with many international artists. These included David Sylvian, Carsten Nicolai, and Youssou N'Dour. Sakamoto also wrote music for the opening ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. His song "Energy Flow" (1999) was the first instrumental song to reach number one in Japan's Oricon charts.

As a film composer, Sakamoto won many major awards. He received an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and two Golden Globe Awards. His first film role and film score was for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983). The main song from this movie was made into the hit single "Forbidden Colours". His most famous film music was for The Last Emperor (1987). He also composed for films like The Sheltering Sky (1990) and The Revenant (2015). Sakamoto also wrote music for anime and video games. In 2009, France gave him the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres award for his music.

His Music Journey

Starting Out in the 1970s

Ryuichi Sakamoto went to the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1970. He studied music composition and focused on electronic and world music. He was interested in music from different cultures, especially Japanese, Okinawan, Indian, and African music. He also learned classical music. At university, he started trying out electronic music tools like synthesizers. One of his favorite classical composers was Claude Debussy. Sakamoto said that Asian music influenced Debussy, and Debussy influenced him.

In 1975, Sakamoto worked with percussionist Tsuchitori Toshiyuki on an album. In 1977, he worked as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi. The three then formed the famous electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) in 1978. YMO was very important for electronic music. They helped create genres like electropop, synthpop, and cyberpunk music. Their music influenced many other styles, including hip hop and techno.

Sakamoto wrote many of YMO's hit songs. These include "Yellow Magic (Tong Poo)" (1978) and "Technopolis" (1979). He also played keyboards for many songs, like "Computer Game/Firecracker" (1978). He even sang on some songs, such as "Kimi ni Mune Kyun" (1983). His song "Technopolis" helped develop techno music. The song "Behind the Mask" (1978) was later covered by famous artists like Michael Jackson and Eric Clapton.

Sakamoto released his first solo album, Thousand Knives of Ryūichi Sakamoto, in 1978. He worked with Hideki Matsutake on this album. The album mixed different styles, like electronic music with traditional Japanese music. He used many electronic instruments for this album, including various synthesizers and drum machines.

Music in the 1980s

In 1980, Sakamoto released his solo album B-2 Unit. This album was known for its electronic song "Riot in Lagos". This song is seen as an early example of electro music. Artists like Afrika Bambaata and Kurtis Mantronik were influenced by this song. "Riot in Lagos" was later included in a collection of important electro songs.

Many artists used sounds and beats similar to those in "Riot in Lagos" in their early electro and hip hop music. The Guardian newspaper listed "Riot in Lagos" as one of the 50 most important events in dance music history.

Other songs on B-2 Unit also showed new ideas. "Differencia" had fast beats and a strong synthesizer sound that was similar to jungle music, which came out much later. Some songs on the album also hinted at styles like IDM and industrial techno. Sakamoto also worked with reggae producer Dennis Bovell on some tracks, adding elements of afrobeat and dub music.

Also in 1980, Sakamoto released the single "War Head/Lexington Queen". This was an experimental synthpop and electro record. He also started working with David Sylvian from the band Japan. They worked together on the song "Taking Islands In Africa". In 1982, they collaborated again on the single "Bamboo Houses/Bamboo Music".

In 1983, Sakamoto acted alongside David Bowie in the movie Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. He also wrote the music for the film. He worked with Sylvian again on the movie's main song, "Forbidden Colours", which became a small hit. Sakamoto said that he spent a month with Bowie while filming and found him "nice".

Sakamoto released many solo albums in the 1980s. He often used piano and synthesizers. He also worked with artists like David Byrne, Thomas Dolby, and Iggy Pop. He explored different music styles and themes, like the Italian Futurism movement. His album Beauty (1989) mixed pop music with traditional Japanese and Okinawan songs. It also featured guest artists like Brian Wilson.

Music in the 1990s

His albums Heartbeat (1991) and Sweet Revenge (1994) included collaborations with artists from around the world, such as Youssou N'Dour and David Sylvian.

In 1995, Sakamoto released Smoochy, an album with easy-listening and Latin music. This was followed by 1996, which had many of his older songs arranged for solo piano, violin, and cello. In 1996, Sakamoto wrote a long orchestral piece called "Untitled 01". It was released as the album Discord (1998). This album was divided into four parts: "Grief", "Anger", "Prayer", and "Salvation". Sakamoto explained that he was "not religious, but maybe spiritual" and that "The Prayer is to anybody or anything you want to name." He said the piece was about feeling sad and frustrated that people are suffering, and he wanted to pray and think about helping them.

In 1998, Sakamoto's next album, BTTB (1998), was released. The title stands for "Back to the Basics". It featured original songs played on solo piano, including "Energy Flow", which was a big hit in Japan. On his BTTB tour in the U.S., he sometimes opened the show as a DJ under the name DJ Lovegroove.

Sakamoto's big "opera" called LIFE came out in 1999. It had visual effects by Shiro Takatani. It was performed seven times in Tokyo and Osaka to sold-out crowds. This huge project involved over 100 performers, including Pina Bausch, Bernardo Bertolucci, and the Dalai Lama.

Music in the 2000s

Keigo Oyamada with Sakamoto in 2007.

Sakamoto worked with cellist Jaques Morelenbaum and his wife, Paula, on two albums that celebrated the music of bossa nova pioneer Antonio Carlos Jobim. They recorded their first album, Casa (2001), mostly in Jobim's home studio. The album was very popular and was listed as one of The New York Times top albums of 2002. They later released a live album and another studio album. Sakamoto and the Morelenbaums also worked on a project called N.M.L. No More Landmine. This project aimed to raise awareness about removing landmines. They released the song "Zero Landmine", which featured many famous artists, including the other two members of Yellow Magic Orchestra.

Sakamoto also worked with Alva Noto (whose real name is Carsten Nicolai). They released Vrioon, an album where Sakamoto's piano sounds were mixed with Nicolai's digital effects. This album was named "record of the year" in the electronica category by The Wire magazine in 2004. They then released Insen (2005), which was more calm and simple. They continued to work together and released two more albums.

In 2005, the phone company Nokia asked Sakamoto to create ringtones for their Nokia 8800 phone. In 2006, Nokia offered these ringtones for free. Around this time, Sakamoto reunited with his YMO bandmates, Hosono and Takahashi. They released a single called "Rescue" in 2007. In July 2009, Sakamoto received an award from the French embassy in Tokyo for his contributions to music.

Later Years (2010s–2023)

Sakamoto performing in São Paulo, 2017

In the 2000s, Sakamoto worked on several projects with visual artist Shiro Takatani. These included art installations and music for performances.

In 2013, Sakamoto was a judge at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. He helped choose the best films. In 2014, he became the first Guest Artistic Director of The Sapporo International Art Festival.

In July 2014, Sakamoto announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He took a year off from work to get treatment and recover. In August 2015, he shared that he was feeling much better and planned to return to work. He then wrote music for the film Haha to Kuraseba (Living with My Mother). In 2015, Sakamoto also composed the music for the film The Revenant, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

In January 2017, Sakamoto announced a new solo album called async. It was released in March 2017 and received great reviews. In February 2018, he was a judge for the main competition at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival.

On June 14, 2018, a documentary about Sakamoto's life and work, called Coda, was released. The film showed him recovering from cancer and making music again. It also showed his protests against nuclear power plants after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster. The documentary was praised by critics.

His Work as a Producer

Sakamoto produced many albums for other artists. In 1983, he produced Mari Iijima's first album, Rosé. He also worked with artists like Thomas Dolby and Aztec Camera. In 1996, Sakamoto produced "Mind Circus" for actress Miki Nakatani. This led to a long collaboration with her.

Roddy Frame from Aztec Camera said that he had to wait a long time to work with Sakamoto. Sakamoto was very busy writing film music and music for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Frame was impressed by YMO's music and the Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence soundtrack. He said that Sakamoto's music had a special feeling even without synthesizers. Frame also noted that Sakamoto was always trying new things. He would stop working to listen to hip hop or house music, and he even went to Borneo to find new sounds.

In 1994, the Japan Football Association asked Ryuichi Sakamoto to compose the song "Japanese Soccer Anthem". This song is played at the beginning of football events in Japan.

His Film Work

Sakamoto started working in films in 1983 with Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. He composed the music and acted in the film. He also sang the duet "Forbidden Colours" with David Sylvian. Sakamoto later composed the music for Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor (1987). For this film, he won an Academy Award with David Byrne and Cong Su. In the same year, he wrote the music for the anime film Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise. Sakamoto also composed the music for the opening ceremony of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Over a billion people watched this event live.

Sakamoto also wrote music for other films. These include Pedro Almodóvar's High Heels (1991), Bertolucci's The Little Buddha (1993), and Oliver Stone's Wild Palms (1993). He also composed for Snake Eyes (1998) and Femme Fatale (2002) by Brian De Palma. More recently, he scored Minamata (2020) starring Johnny Depp.

Some songs from Sakamoto's earlier solo albums have also been used in film soundtracks. For example, "Bibo No Aozora" from his 1996 album was used in Babel (2006). In 2015, Sakamoto worked with director Alejandro González Iñárritu to score his film, The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Sakamoto also acted in several films. His most famous role was as Captain Yonoi in Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, alongside Takeshi Kitano and David Bowie. He also appeared in The Last Emperor and Madonna's "Rain" music video.

Personal Life and Activism

Sakamoto was married three times. He had a daughter from his first marriage. In 1982, he married Japanese pianist and singer Akiko Yano. They had a daughter, J-pop singer Miu Sakamoto. This marriage ended in 2006. He then married his manager, Norika Sora, and they had two children. Sakamoto lived mostly in New York City from around 1990 until 2020, when he moved back to Tokyo.

Health

In June 2014, Sakamoto was diagnosed with cancer and took a year off. In 2015, he said he was feeling much better. However, he knew the cancer could return. On January 21, 2021, Sakamoto announced that his throat cancer was gone, but he had been diagnosed with a different type of cancer. He said he was undergoing treatment and hoped to continue making music for a while longer.

Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away from cancer on March 28, 2023, at the age of 71. His death was announced a few days later, after his funeral.

Activism

Sakamoto was a member of the anti-nuclear group Stop Rokkasho. He wanted the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant to be closed. In 2012, he organized the No Nukes 2012 concert. Many groups performed, including Yellow Magic Orchestra. Sakamoto also believed that copyright law needed to change for the digital age. He argued that the internet could help artists and fans connect more directly.

In 2015, Sakamoto supported efforts to stop the relocation of a military base in Okinawa. He released a new version of his song "Undercooled" to help raise money for the "Henoko Fund". In one of his last public actions, he wrote a letter to the Tokyo Governor in March 2023. He asked for a review of a planned building project due to environmental concerns.

Commmons Record Label

In 2006, Sakamoto worked with the Japanese music company Avex Group to create Commmons (コモンズ, Komonzu). This was a record label that aimed to change how music is made and shared. Sakamoto wanted Commmons to be a platform where artists could work together as equals. The label's goal is to find new ways for music and contribute to culture and society. The name "Commmons" has three "m"s because the third "m" stands for music.

Awards and Achievements

Sakamoto won many awards for his film music. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983). His biggest success was for The Last Emperor (1987). For this film, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Score, a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, and a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

His music for The Sheltering Sky (1990) earned him another Golden Globe Award. His score for Little Buddha (1993) also received a Grammy Award nomination. In 1997, his work with Toshio Iwai, Music Plays Images X Images Play Music, won the Golden Nica award. He also contributed to the Academy Award-winning soundtrack for Babel (2006). In 2009, France gave him the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his music. His score for The Revenant (2015) was nominated for the Golden Globe and BAFTA.

Sakamoto won the Golden Pine Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2013 International Samobor Film Music Festival.

Awards List

Academy Award for Best Original Score

• 1987 – The Last Emperor (won)

BAFTA Award for Best Film Music

• 1983 – Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (won)
• 1987 – The Last Emperor (nominated)
• 2015 – The Revenant (nominated)

Grand Bell Awards for Best Music

• 2018 – The Fortress (won)

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score

• 1987 – The Last Emperor (won)
• 1990 – The Sheltering Sky (won)
• 1993 – Little Buddha (nominated)
• 2015 – The Revenant (nominated)

Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media

• 1987 – The Last Emperor (won)
• 1995 – Little Buddha (nominated)
• 2015 – The Revenant (nominated)

Hong Kong Film Award for Best Original Film Score

• 2022 – Love After Love (won)

Asian Film Awards for Best Composer

• 2012 – Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (nominated)
• 2017 – Rage (nominated)

Other Awards

• 1997 – Golden Nica, grand prize of Prix Ars Electronica, for Music Plays Images X Images Play Music

Honorary Awards

• 2009 – Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, from France's Ministry of Culture
• 2013 – Golden Pine Award (Lifetime Achievement), at 2013 International Samobor Film Music Festival

His Music Albums

Solo studio albums

See also

In Spanish: Ryūichi Sakamoto para niños