Parliament unanimously mourns the death of Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Parliament unanimously approved this Thursday a vote of regret over the death of 71-year-old Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, noting that “he has embarked on a path of electronic music that will forever be remembered.”

This condolence was presented by the deputies of the Parliamentary Friendship Group Portugal-Japan.

The text notes that Sakamoto, who was born in Tokyo in 1952, began taking piano lessons at the age of six and entered the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he studied music.

“There he met the first synthesizers and, fascinated by this world, from Debussy to the German Kraftwerk, began working on various musical projects,” it says.

It should be noted that the Japanese composer’s career began later, in the late 1970s, with the Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), which “opened new paths in electronic music” before breaking up in 1984.

Along with his musical career, the vote of regret also mentions that, as an actor, Sakamoto participated in the film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence with British musician David Bowie, also developing the main theme of this award-winning film. BAFTA Award.

“Sakamoto became known as a solo artist, specifically in composing soundtracks, and eventually became the first Japanese to win an Oscar for the soundtrack to Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor in 1987,” the document reads.

The deputies also note that in his nearly 50-year career, Sakamoto “collaborated with names such as David Bowie, Sylvain Alva Noto, Bill Laswell, Iggy Pop, Cayetano Veloso and the Portuguese Rodrigo Leao on the themes ‘Antonio’ ​​and ‘Rose’, songs from the 2004 album [Rodrigo] Lev, ‘Kino'”.

“In addition to music and cinema, Ryuichi Sakamoto was also an environmental activist, supporting the anti-nuclear movement after the tragedy at the Japanese plant in Fukushima,” he emphasizes.

Thus, the deputies mark the disappearance of Sakamoto “as a loss in the international cultural arena”.

“The Assembly of the Republic, gathered in plenary session, expresses its regret over the death of Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Japanese composer who led electronic music along a path that will forever remain in our memory, and addresses his most sincere feelings to his family and friends,” emphasizes the voice of regret.

Ryuchi Sakamoto died last Friday at the age of 71 from cancer.

Sakamoto, who recovered from throat cancer a few years ago, confirmed in early 2021 that he had colorectal cancer. The development of the disease has limited public performances, concerts and interviews of the Japanese musician in recent years.

Sakamoto was one of the most international Japanese composers today, his work spanning several stages, from the success of YMO to writing soundtracks.

Ryuichi Sakamoto’s last concert took place on December 11 in an online format for fans in different time zones to listen to.