Sakamoto / Sylvian / Fennesz - Concert For Japan April 9th 2011

Ryuichi Sakamoto was a guest at the Concert For Japan concert.
This track features sounds by Fennesz and a pre-recorded poem, narrated by David Sylvian

The poem is Life, Life by Arseny Tarkovsky.

I don't believe in omens or fear
Forebodings. I flee from neither slander
Nor from poison. Death does not exist.
Everyone's immortal. Everything is too.
No point in fearing death at seventeen,
Or seventy. There's only here and now, and light;
Neither death, nor darkness, exists.
We're all already on the seashore;
I'm one of those who'll be hauling in the nets
When a shoal of immortality swims by.

If you live in a house - the house will not fall.
I'll summon any of the centuries,
Then enter one and build a house in it.
That's why your children and your wives
Sit with me at one table, -
The same for ancestor and grandson:
The future is being accomplished now,
If I raise my hand a little,
All five beams of light will stay with you.
Each day I used my collar bones
For shoring up the past, as though with timber,
I measured time with geodetic chains
And marched across it, as though it were the Urals.

I tailored the age to fit me.
We walked to the south, raising dust above the steppe;
The tall weeds fumed; the grasshopper danced,
Touching its antenna to the horse-shoes - and it prophesied,
Threatening me with destruction, like a monk.
I strapped my fate to the saddle;
And even now, in these coming times,
I stand up in the stirrups like a child.

I'm satisfied with deathlessness,
For my blood to flow from age to age.
Yet for a corner whose warmth I could rely on
I'd willingly have given all my life,
Whenever her flying needle
Tugged me, like a thread, around the globe.

Visit http://www.davidsylvian.net for everything you'd like to know about David Sylvian.

CONCERT FOR JAPAN
Saturday, April 9, 11 AM — 11 PM
100% of proceeds from this event will go to the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

Japan Society presents a 12-hour concert and open house extravaganza benefiting organizations that directly help people affected by the earthquake and tsunamis that struck Japan. In addition to various music acts by dozens of artists, this one-day event offers special activities for all ages, from Origami and Washi Lantern Installation workshops for good wishes, to Language Classes, Calligraphy Workshops, Kamishibai Storytelling, unlimited access to Bye Bye Kitty!!! and more.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• david
• sylvian
• christian
• fennesz
• ryuichi
• sakamoto

[bulucette]

Thanks Gerrit! The poems David recorded for the concert is by Arseny Tarkovsky, including 'Life, Life'

[peacefulbliss]

Wonderful to see this. Met Ryuichi last year and he's a really nice down to earth guy and very very talented. I've never seen so much respect at a concert. A book depicting the devastating (and almost surreal) images of Japan would not only help the effort in but also remind us how powerful nature really is in such a fragile world.

Thanks for posting the video

[PieWie123456]

very touching! I want to wish the people of Japan who still suffer a great deal after the horrifying events of 2011 a lot of strength, courage and wisdom!

[chrizcheung]

may I ask what's the piece Sakamoto was playing?

[mizyama]

レクイエム。多くの方々の命。祈りの音楽。

[xw668]

bravo!!!

[silence001able]

語り得ない絶望の淵に立ち、物語という文脈も絶えたとき、音楽は­音自体となり、それは祈りになる。遠竹正英

[rewtahydra]

この場にいたい

[messageobliquespe100]

Did someone mention 1982???

Thanks for posting/ quite a nice change from life in Tokyo

Very moving/ great poem/ great speaking voice

[ariesscorpiorising]

@boldovah Nah, i'm 33, and my hair flows like a sun god! ;-)