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Outlook: From classical piano to rock stardom in Japan

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Yoshiki Hayashi on stage behind a drum set. He wears a white trench coat, and has a thick leather collar around his neck.

24/03/2021 GMT

From classical piano to rock stardom in Japan

BBC World Service - Outlook, From classical piano to rock stardom in Japan

Japanese rock star Yoshiki shares the personal story behind his songs

Musician Yoshiki is the founder of the rock band X Japan, which transformed the country's music scene.

Yoshiki is one of Japan's biggest stars. Although he started as a classical pianist, he went on to become an extraordinary drummer who transformed the music scene in Japan with his wild performances and over-the-top outfits. It all began in the 1980s when he founded the band X Japan and spawned a whole new style. They have fans all over the world, have sold more than 30 million records and have won many awards. This month Yoshiki received Japan's prestigious Medal of Honor for his support of frontline medical workers during the Covid 19 pandemic. This interview was first broadcast on 1st March 2017.  

Khano Llaitul and his wife Rosita met and fell in love thanks to a rather unusual musical instrument called the jaw harp. Khano is part of Chile's largest indigenous group - the Mapuche, and he's also a talented metalworker and silversmith. He tells reporter Jane Chambers how he and Rosita met when he made a very special jaw harp for her.   

If you ever find yourself in the coastal city of Zadar in Croatia, and you happen to stand and listen by the sea, you might hear strange but beautiful harmonic sounds coming from the water. They are made by a sea organ - a giant instrument powered by the waves. In 2019 reporter Marta Medvesek went to meet the man who created it - Croatian architect Nikola Bašić.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com


Picture:  Yoshiki from X Japan on stage during Coachella Music and Arts Festival in 2018 
Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella

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