“Ryuichi is for me a poet and a painter,” Mr. Iñárritu’s 2015 film, “The Revenant,” for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. He turned down every work request save one, scoring Alejandro G. During treatment, he was brought to tears by vocalists who had previously never moved him, like the Cuban singer Omara Portuondo.
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Radiotherapy followed, and a full year of recovery was planned, which meant scrapping a solo album. “I could have lost my voice, so I feel very lucky that I didn’t.” “My faith in ‘health’ was crushed,” he said, grinding the palms of his hands together with a clap. It turned out to be oropharyngeal cancer. So when a lump appeared on the left side of his neck in 2014, he thought it was just a sign of aging. When he turned 40, he also focused his hard work on his own health, adopting a macrobiotic diet and eating organic food. He was a founding member of the synth-pop pioneers Yellow Magic Orchestra his 1980 single “Riot in Lagos” became a linchpin in the development of early electro and hip-hop his song “Behind the Mask” was covered by both Michael Jackson and Eric Clapton he won an Oscar for his score to Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 film, “The Last Emperor.” Over four decades, this 65-year-old pianist and composer worked to become the most popular Japanese musician in the West. Silver hair framed his tortoise shell glasses, and the sleeves of his black shirt were pulled over his hands. Ryuichi Sakamoto spoke in a whisper at a bistro steps from his West Village home.