Mr. Ryūichi Sakamoto (坂本龍), passed away on March 28, 2023 in Tokyo, the same city where he was born on January 17, 1952. But has he really left us? Has it really died out as the news has been proclaiming lately? As he liked to say, quoting the aphorism of Hippocrates: Ars longa, vita brevis ("art is long, life is short").
His compositions, his music, his influences, impossible to forget, we who have followed him throughout our lives. Actor, keyboardist, film music composer, university professor, recording artist, pianist, artistic director, musical arranger, composer, musician, conductor… This man who was able to whisper, to scream, to rock us, to inconvenience us, to transmit us so many emotions, sensations! This man who was not satisfied with a single aspect of music and who liked to explore it to better spread it in the universe. This man who knew how to surprise us so well, gave us the gift of his immense creativity.
We had the chance to attend his concert at the Cité De La Musique in Paris, on October 29, 2011. We want to share with you our impressions and some of his compositions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwhYiHJq16c&ab_channel=MsuicLoveJapan2
Starting his concert with the original theme of the film "Babel", his notes resonated like raindrops echoing the autumnal and humid weather of Paris. Chills and want to accompany your fingers with the movements of your body. Tears? This Japanese man with silver hair and nerdy glasses is a genius who continues to draw on the depth of time and space, to crisscross every millimeter of his piano. His soul? This music takes us directly to this tortured and scary film that is Babel. Once again one wonders how he manages to describe a film so skillfully with a musical composition. 
Searching in spite of us for the features of Captain Yonoi on his face, inevitable return to his youth. Our youth. Listening to these songs that were very close to free style, we slip unconsciously towards its beginnings. It must be said that the mood is nostalgic. We are in a parallel world. One day, a very long time ago, we watched "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (Furyo)", a pretty strong movie for the time. Next to David Bowie, this Japanese actor seems as charismatic as the latter. But who is it? We discover that he is the author of the soundtrack. By taking a closer look at this young man, (What is his name already? Sakamoto?) We discover his career, his exploits, his influences all over the world.
1978, "Thousand Knives", his first masterpiece, fusion of electronic music and traditional Japanese music. We look for his traces in this calm concert to the tune of falling leaves. Yet it is the same person. Or rather another side of the same person. One wonders how far we've come from Thousand Knives to what we're listening to right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV8wdoQKKvM&ab_channel=%C3%89paMinondas
But this man is a chameleon. His compositions are tinted with several colors (even forbidden), often very paradoxical styles. They perfectly match the scenes of a film, whether Asian or even for an Almodovar. Precisely, Almodovar, this director who loves intense and dramatic Spanish songs that saffron his films to perfection. Who would have thought that a composition by the Japanese musician would marry so much a scene from the movie "Stilettos"? "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" or "The Last Emperor" (among others). Can you imagine "The Last Emperor" devoid of its soundtrack? Dare we say that all the strength of this film can be found in Sakamoto's compositions?
For the opening of the Olympic Games in Barcelona, summer 1992, he interpreted the Mediterranean Sea capturing the musical essence of the Catalan countries. We have really heard the Mediterranean Sea in these agreements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4AzXwtfHck&ab_channel=MiguelAngelTom%C3%A9
Difficult to tell you about all his albums. There would be enough to write books about this ecliptic musician, a pilgrim of all kinds of musical styles, concepts and genres. Electropop, technopop, synthpop, cyberpunk, house, bossanova… It seems like his thirst for innovation never dries up. He gives himself the means to express his guts, whether through machines that no one knows yet, whether through the mastery of a piano.
Other agreements venture into distant lands. Diabaram, diabaram, diabaram… Youssou N'Dour gives a smell of earth to his album "Beauty", (1989). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19qDm_3ATJo&ab_channel=RyuichiSakamoto-Topic
The concert, whose album was released on iTunes in Japan, becomes more and more fluid, more subtle. Accompanied by Jaques Morelenbaum on cello and Judy Kang on violin, M Ryuichi Sakamoto makes the scene magical, luminous, a questioning, the autumnal appeasement. He almost imperceptibly directs the trio, key gestures diluted between his chord plating and his fingers arranging his hair back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT0N8eKHZwM&ab_channel=justinsao
"1919", repetitive, disturbing. The violin goes wild. "M.a.y.in the backyard", the labyrinth is intertwined more than ever. "A day a gorilla gives a banana", "Nostalgia", "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" in a softer tempo than usual, "Rain"… And then for the first time he speaks to us. He says he will play "Ichimei (Life)" also called "Harakiri". The choice of this title, the relationship of these two words is singular to say the least. He says that while he was recording it, at the same time, the tremors started in Japan. He expresses himself with a smile, apparently more comfortable in front of his piano than standing, in front of the audience. He approaches Satie. He has this gift, this incredible way of giving a sound to a moment, a music to a situation. As if he could extract the musical essence of a moment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh_i_kDOBw8&ab_channel=SergioPappas
Magical moment this concert but too short! But where is the rest? We dreamed of hearing him play, of SEEING him play Tong Poo with the punch we know him. Hear these words, "I gotta get away from here. There is nothing here for me anymore. Just memories. I ́d Forget if I could", knowing that it was impossible… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRokdqRtles&ab_channel=OceanMusic
It is clear that the hour and a half has passed too quickly, that it could never have embraced all these fruitful and exciting years. Although the performance exceeded all expectations, the content may have surprised us with its definitive orientation towards a sullen and nostalgic style of classical music. We won't talk about disappointment, but we are struggling to adapt to this new facet. Yet…
It marks a turning point. Could it be because of the earthquake? Age? Later of the disease? Of his political commitments? Of its principles? The compositions that followed were more orchestral, in a dramatic research much less concentrated and impactful than his previous compositions. It will not lack weight, but on the contrary the amplitude will make them even more grandiose.
Except for certain occasions, such as "The Revenant" or "The Staggering Girl", we can no longer recognize his chords. Perhaps he could remind us more that one day he was inspired by Debussy. Melancholy takes him on board. He also manages to go wild even in peace. Suffering? Affliction? Pain? Regret? These are the emotions that emerge from these last compositions but, despite all this, he continues again and again, to embrace the essence of each film whose music he composes.
We will miss you, Mr. Sakamoto. I will miss you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDaQF-LNrug&ab_channel=JohnDey
