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Trailblazing musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto dies at 71

<p dir="ltr">Composer and activist Ryuichi Sakamoto, the creative force behind <em>The Last Emperor</em>’s award-winning score and trailblazing member of Yellow Magic Orchestra, has passed away at the age of 71 following a second cancer diagnosis. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sakamoto died on March 28, as a statement released by his management team to his official website confirmed. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of artist and musician, Ryuichi Sakamoto,” it read.</p> <p dir="ltr">"While undergoing treatment for cancer discovered in June 2020, Sakamoto continued to create works in his home studio whenever his health would allow.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He lived with music until the very end.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to his fans and all those who have supported his activities, as well as the medical professionals in Japan and the US who did everything in their power to cure him,” it continued, before going on to explain that his funeral service was “held among close family members” as per his wishes, and that they would be unable to accept “calls of condolences, offerings of incense or flowers, and the like.” </p> <p dir="ltr">To conclude the statement, the team shared one of Sakamoto’s favourite quotes, “‘Ars longa, vita brevis’. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Art is long, life is short.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Sakamoto’s art is perhaps what he will be remembered best for - by many, for his widely-renowned soundtracks, including those for Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, the same film in which he starred alongside his friend, David Bowie. </p> <p dir="ltr">The team managing the late Bowie’s official Twitter account posted a tribute to Sakamoto in the wake of the news, writing, “REST IN PEACE RYUICHI SAKAMOTO … ‘Here am I, a lifetime away from you’” alongside a picture of the two, taken in Japan in 1983.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">REST IN PEACE RYUICHI SAKAMOTO</p> <p>“Here am I, a lifetime away from you...”</p> <p>Sad to learn of the passing of actor, composer, and producer <a href="https://twitter.com/ryuichisakamoto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ryuichisakamoto</a>. The renowned Japanese artist passed on Tuesday 28th March aged 71.</p> <p>He won awards - including an Oscar, a Grammy and Bafta -… <a href="https://t.co/OZdRVnQyYW">pic.twitter.com/OZdRVnQyYW</a></p> <p>— David Bowie Official (@DavidBowieReal) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidBowieReal/status/1642598977785741318?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Sakamoto’s contribution to numerous music genres - including the likes of synth-pop, house music, and hip-hop - won’t be forgotten either. In the 1970s, he rose to fame as a member of the Japanese group Yellow Magic Orchestra, helping to lay the foundations for generations to come with their innovative electronic approach. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the 1980s, Sakamoto even joined forces with Iggy Pop for the 1987 hit ‘Risky’. </p> <p dir="ltr">“One of the greatest, most influential composers of our times,” tweeted one fan of his music mastery. “And I mean like really truly foundational levels of influence. Do you like electro? Hip hop? Video game music? Modern film scores? Jpop? Jrock? "Experimental music"? He was a pioneer of it all!"</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">RIP to Ryuichi Sakamoto, one of the greatest, most influential composers of our times. And I mean like really truly foundational levels of influence. Do you like electro? Hip hop? Videogame music? Modern film scores? Jpop? Jrock? "Experimental music"? He was a pioneer of it all! <a href="https://t.co/IoFlJwL9OL">https://t.co/IoFlJwL9OL</a> <a href="https://t.co/HP1Jdfltkg">pic.twitter.com/HP1Jdfltkg</a></p> <p>— Art-Eater ➡️⬇️↘️🐲👊 (@Richmond_Lee) <a href="https://twitter.com/Richmond_Lee/status/1642537126834339840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">And his success from 1987 wasn’t to stop there, with Sakamoto taking home the Academy Award for his score on the period epic <em>The Last Emperor</em>. While the award was presented at the 1988 ceremony, the film - directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, and telling the story of China’s last emperor, Puyi - was released the previous year. The score also saw him take home a Grammy and a Golden Globe for his work.</p> <p dir="ltr">As the Japan Film Society wrote on Twitter, Sakamoto was “a singular artist whose contributions to music and film remain unparalleled.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">R.I.P. Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952-2023), a singular artist whose contributions to music and film remain unparalleled. <a href="https://t.co/FUKyvHWRf9">pic.twitter.com/FUKyvHWRf9</a></p> <p>— Japan Society Film (@js_film_nyc) <a href="https://twitter.com/js_film_nyc/status/1642515647388176385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In 2007, Sakamoto branched out again, founding a conservation organisation known as More Trees, with the goal of promoting sustainable forestry in Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Reportedly, Sakamoto even contacted the Tokyo governor shortly before his passing, continuing his mission to protect Japan’s tree cover. </p> <p dir="ltr">And in 2011, Sakamoto turned his influence into activism yet again in the wake of the Fukushima meltdown when he organised a concert against nuclear power.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/mYLMEN6HrZ">pic.twitter.com/mYLMEN6HrZ</a></p> <p>— ryuichi sakamoto (@ryuichisakamoto) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryuichisakamoto/status/1642507238467309568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Composer of Chariots on Fire dies

<p dir="ltr">The award-winning composer of the popular <em>Chariots on Fire</em> has died at the age of 79. </p> <p dir="ltr">Vangelis, born Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou, was being treated for Covid-19 at a French hospital when he died on May 17.</p> <p dir="ltr">Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called Vangelis "a pioneer of the electronic sound."</p> <p dir="ltr">"He began his long journey on the Chariots of Fire," Mitsotakis wrote on Twitter. </p> <p dir="ltr">"From there he will always send us his notes."</p> <p dir="ltr">His record label Decca also issued a statement remembering his music that will live on forever.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Vangelis created music of extraordinary originality and power, and provided the soundtrack to so many of our lives,” the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“His music will live on forever.”</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8a-HfNE3EIo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">Vangelis is best known for his opening music in the 1981 film <em>Chariots of Fire</em> which saw him win an Academy Award for Best Musical Score.</p> <p dir="ltr">The film was at the top of the Billboard 200 for four weeks and Vangelis’s song was nominated for Record of the Year Grammy. </p> <p dir="ltr">Vangelis also worked on making the soundtrack for Ridley Scott’s 1982 <em>Blade Runner</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">His other work was included in the film <em>1492: Conquest of Paradise</em> (1992), <em>Missing</em> (1982), <em>Antarctica</em> (1983), <em>Bitter Moon</em> (1992) and <em>Alexander</em> (2004).</p> <p dir="ltr">He also created music for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2021 FIFA World Cup in Japan.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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How a song composed for the Sydney Olympics has been brought to life

<p dir="ltr">As Australia prepared for the Sydney Olympics in early 2000, composer Natalie Raab decided to create a uniquely Aussie song. </p> <p dir="ltr">Her hope was that the ballad, which celebrates Australia’s beauty, history and diversity, could be used somewhere during the Olympic ceremonies. </p> <p dir="ltr">After moving from Italy in 1960, Natalie fell in love with Australia and wanted to honour her new home in her own special way. </p> <p dir="ltr">"My wife was always very musical," her husband, Erich Raab said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She wrote quite a bit of music for some well-known artists, she played the violin, the guitar, the piano, and she studied music from an early age.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"She thought, 'I better write a song that's for everybody and inclusive of Indigenous Australia and offer it as a gift'."</p> <p dir="ltr">Three months before the games, Natalie offered the song to the Sydney Olympic Committee. </p> <p dir="ltr">While they praised her work, the committee members said it was too late to incorporate it into the program. </p> <p dir="ltr">"After that, it disappeared in a drawer somewhere — forgotten," said Erich.</p> <p dir="ltr">The song stayed in its drawer for 20 years, until last year when Mr Raab found it during a clean-up of his home. </p> <p dir="ltr">Natalie died in a motorcycle accident in 2014, and her husband was keen to share the song with others. </p> <p dir="ltr">"When I found the music, I thought, 'This song in a few verses says everything that needs to be said about this country, its beauty, its natural history, its people history, and its emphasis on reconciliation for all'.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I thought, 'I have to hang on to this and see if I can get somebody interested'."</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Raab gifted the music to the Manning Valley Choral Society, who have performed the song, called <em>Till I Come Home</em>, as part of a concert series. </p> <p dir="ltr">"They immediately understood what the song was about, they loved the music and thought it suited them, and they loved the words."</p> <p dir="ltr">The Manning Valley Choral Society's Robyn Rankin said they gratefully received the music.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Erich asked us if we would take care of it and record it for him," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We are lucky enough to have it in our possession now … it's a tribute to Erich's wife."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Composer of Bunnings iconic jingle revealed

<p>The songwriter behind the Bunnings ad jingles has been uncovered, saying he always “knew” he’d be tracked down.</p> <p>ABC advertising show Gruen revealed they’d found composer Trevor Hilton on Wednesday, 25 years after he wrote the iconic jingle for the hardware store.</p> <p>“Yes, I wrote that jingle,” Mr Hilton said, telling the program he still collects royalties from the gig.</p> <p>“This week, we went on an interstate odyssey to track down the composer of the Bunnings theme,” host Wil Anderson said. “Twenty five years later, he still secretly wanders around his local WA store whistling the tune. The first thing he said when we finally reached him? ‘I knew this day would come’.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:279.95867768595036px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838532/screen-shot-2020-10-30-at-114908-am.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/04ddba78785446d08870b287407f631c" /></p> <p>Mr Hilton said he wrote the song on a sunny afternoon back in 1995.</p> <p>“For me it was just another day at the office, jingling away on this very keyboard, with this very floppy disk,” he said.</p> <p>Mr Hilton now resides in Busselton, in the south west of Western Australia. Anderson joked the composer had previously been one of the only Bunnings staff members to not appear on camera.</p> <p>The unmasking led to a flurry of excited responses, with people calling Mr Hilton a “legend” and a “hero”.</p> <p>“Where is the Order of Australia for services to industry AND THE ARTS for this dude,” former triple j host and broadcaster Adam Spencer wrote.</p> <p>“The Man. The Myth. The Legend,” another man wrote on Twitter.</p> <p>“This man is a hero,” another said.</p>

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Why classical music is better than melancholy music every time

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many fans of classical music believe that access to the music of classical composers, such as Beethoven, Mozart and Bach, should be a fundamental human right.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It makes sense then that they would turn to classical music when they’re experiencing emotional upheaval, as Ian Warden found out.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Warden was most distressed that Robert Mueller found nothing impeachable about Donald Trump’s election campaign and turned to Beethoven to calm him down.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He told </span><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/why-classical-music-trumps-melancholy-every-time-20190327-p5189u.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Telegraph</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Classical-music-besotted I routinely listen to fine music and after listening to Beethoven's 7th Symphony (unless you are clinically dead, it is music that makes you break into a dance) my spirits were restored.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the online Canadian magazine called </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Walrus</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, there is a heartfelt and passionate piece written by orchestral conductor Kent Nagano. The piece is called </span><a href="https://thewalrus.ca/in-times-of-crisis-we-need-classical-music/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Times of Crisis, We Need Classical Music.</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The essay outlines that those who live in western industrial societies are living in dreadful times of increasing materialism, consumerism, angst and alienation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, through the darkness, there is a light.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I want to show that, because of its powerful impact, classical music can play a significant role right now," Nagano explains.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Composers address topics that are relevant to everyone. Their music highlights our worries and fears, our pain and joy. It can help us think more clearly, feel more profoundly, and live fuller lives than we could without it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It can alter the way we treat our fellow humans and even our perceptions of ourselves. I want the music my orchestra performs to become a permanent, indispensable dimension of an audience's life.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"[There] are timeless compositions that address all the uncertainties and insecurities of this epochal period, and they can support us in our search for meaning. Beethoven, for example, was convinced that man had the capacity to change for the better and to grow throughout life. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is why there is so much hope in his music. His symphonies were meant to drive people forward. Can we hear this even today? I certainly think so."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you think classical music can inspire hope? Let us know in the comments.</span></p>

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