Pioneering electronic musician, composer and actor Ryuichi Sakamoto has died, aged 71.
The news was confirmed via a post on Sakamoto’s official social media accounts.
A statement on his official website reads: “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 out deepest gratitude to his fans and all those who have supported his activities, as well as medical professionals in Japan and the United States 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. Finally, we would like to share one of Sakamoto’s favourite quotes: ‘Ars longa, vita brevis’ [Art is Long, life is short’].”
Sakamoto was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 which, after treatment, went into remission but in 2020 it was confirmed he had been diagnosed with rectal cancer.
In an essay published last June, Sakamoto revealed that he had undergone surgery in late 2021 to remove cancer that had spread to both lungs and was still battling stage 4 cancer.
“Since I have made it this far in life, I hope to be able to make music until my last moment, like Bach and Debussy whom I adore,” he wrote.
In December, Sakamoto shared a livestream concert titled ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano 2022’. He also shared a video message that explained that due to treatment, his “strength has really fallen, so a normal concert of about an hour to ninety minutes would be very difficult,” so he had recorded each track separately before editing them together “so it can be presented as a regular concert.”
During his 50 year career, Sakamoto won numerous awards [including an Oscar, a Grammy, a Bafta and two Golden Globes] for his work as a film composer, scoring the likes of The Last Emperor, The Sheltering Sky, Little Buddha, and The Revenant. As well as scoring Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence, Sakamoto also starred in the war film alongside David Bowie.
Sakamoto was also a founding member of pioneering electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra.
Following his death, tributes have been paid to to Ryuichi Sakamoto on social media
Rest in Power ryuichi sakamoto ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3gn6qkmXZm
— anton newcombe (@antonnewcombe) April 2, 2023
Dearest @ryuichisakamoto … how can one summarise your gentle profundity? Thank you for the warmth and generosity, and for the wellspring of your music which lives so very deeply inside so many of us. With deep love and respect…RIP. pic.twitter.com/2OxnXdAWCz
— lawrence english (@room40speaks) April 2, 2023
RIP Ryuichi Sakamoto, one of the most wildly ambitious artists ever. His career is so brilliant & varied that it’s an embarrassment of riches. I am very fond of his pop albums but my fav is maybe the sampling madness across his 1985 masterpiece Esperanto.https://t.co/hHhK4OH0tb
— Joshua Minsoo Kim (@misterminsoo) April 2, 2023
Rest in peace Maestro ???? https://t.co/DkrXysX7bV
— ???????? ???????????????????????????????? (@EdHarcourt) April 2, 2023
坂本龍一さんという偉大な音楽家に出会えたことに心から感謝しています。とても悲しくて受け入れたくありませんが、あなたの奏でた音楽は永遠に残ります。そして熊本の復興のためにとても力を尽くして下さり本当に有難うございました。今はただ安らかにお眠り下さい。R.I.P. https://t.co/48M7W7Xn0J
— 熊本市長 大西一史 (@K_Onishi) April 2, 2023