kizuna world is the second project by kizunaworld.org. This project is a collaboration between Ryuichi Sakamoto, with his new piece composed after the 3.11 earthquake, and photos of the afflicted area taken by the members of Japan Visual Journalist Association (JVJA). This piece of work explores the tragedy caused by nature and other man-made disasters (the TEPCO Nuclear plant crisis in Fukushima). Sakamoto composed the original piece, “kizuna world” for the promotional video for the 3/11 Tsunami Photo Project (Kodansha). Inspired by this, the video project, kizuna world, was created with the permission of Kodansha.

This new version, “kizuna world – arve henriksen + pf mix,” is intended solely for kizunaworld.org, consisting of the performance by the Norwegian composer and trumpet player, Arve Henriksen, and Sakamoto’s piano performance.

Ryuichi will be interviewed live on 123-film today at 6pm EST, 3pm PST.

Mr. Sakamoto has a vast range of musical endeavors: from pioneering early electronic music in his first group: Yellow Magic Orchestra to globally-inspired rock albums, classical compositions, and over twenty film scores. He won an Academy Award for his original score of  Bernardo Bertolucci sweeping epic The Last Emperor. Some of his other notable credits include Babel, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, Little Buddha, The Sheltering Sky, Black Rain to name but a few. His has also scored numerous soundtracks for video games. As well as winning an Academy Award he has won two Golden Globes, a Grammy, The order Of The Cavaleiro Admissao from the government of Brazil and in July of 2009 was named the Officer Of The Coveted Ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres from the government of France. Though born in Tokyo, Sakamoto has written music inspired by traditions of Okinawa, Indonesia and Brazil. He has also collaborated with David Bowie, David Sylvian, dramatist Robert Wilson, author William S. Burroughs, The Three Tenors’ Jose Carreras and His Holiness The Dali Lama among many others. He also wrote the music for the 1992 Olympic Games In Barcelona and the 400th anniversary of the city of Mannheim Germany.  His most recent tour, “Playing The Piano”, has toured in Japan, Europe and North America. the concerts are performed using two grand pianos, one played by Sakamoto live and a second one that interacts with Sakamoto’s playing via MIDI controller, creating a virtual piano duet. You can email your questions to 123filmeasy@gmail.com