Damo Suzuki

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Damo Suzuki
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Suzuki performing in 2012
Background information
Birth name Kenji Suzuki
Born (1950-01-16)16 January 1950
Kobe, Japan
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Genres
Occupation(s) Vocalist
Musician
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1970–1974, 1983–2024
Associated acts Can 1-A Düsseldorf Dunkelziffer
Website damosuzuki.com

Kenji Suzuki (鈴木健次 Suzuki Kenji?, 16 January 1950 – 9 February 2024), known as Damo Suzuki (ダモ鈴木), was a Japanese musician best known as the vocalist for the German Krautrock group Can between 1971 and 1973.

Born in 1950 in Kobe, Japan, he moved to Europe in the late 1960s. While busking in Munich, Germany, he was spotted by Can bassist Holger Czukay and drummer Jaki Liebezeit. Can had just split with their vocalist Malcolm Mooney, and asked Suzuki to sing over tracks from their 1970 compilation album Soundtracks.[1] Afterwards, he became their full time singer, appearing on the hugely influential trio of albums Tago Mago (1971), Ege Bamyası (1972) and Future Days (1973).[2]

After leaving Can in 1973, Suzuki abandoned music and became a Jehovah's Witness. Having left the organisation, he returned to music in the mid 1980s and toured widely, recording a large number of albums under different aliases, which he later grouped as "Damo Suzuki's Network".[1]

Career

Kenji Suzuki was born in Kobe, Japan on 16 January 1950.[3] In 1968, while still a teenager, he moved to Europe, first to a Swedish commune, while spending time in Ireland, France, the UK and Germany, living money earned while busking.[4][5]

When Malcolm Mooney left Can after recording their first album Monster Movie (1969), Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit encountered Suzuki busking in Munich, Germany, while the two were sitting outside at a street café. They invited him to join the group, and he performed with them that evening.[6] His first recording with Can was "Don't Turn the Light On, Leave Me Alone" from Soundtracks. He was a full time member of Can from 1970 to 1973, his debut album with the band being the highly influential double album Tago Mago (1971), widely considered as foundational in the development of Krautrock.[7][8] That album was followed in 1972 by Ege Bamyası where Suzuki's vocals became more confident and defining, in a record that contained the songs "Vitamin C" and "Spoon".[1] The band developed a more atmospheric sound for Future Days (1973), their final album with Suzuki.[9][10]

His free-form, often improvised, lyrics were largely indiscernible, leading many critics to think they were sung in no particular language.[6] Suzuki departed from the band in 1973, and took a break from music for the following decade while working other projects.[11]

Suzuki returned to music in 1983 and led what became known as "Damo Suzuki's Network" – as he toured, he performed live improvisational music with various local musicians, which he described as "sound carriers."[12]

Personal life

Suzuki met his wife Elke Morsbach in Cologne in 1985.[13] He lived in the city, although he played more shows in the United Kingdom and said that British audiences were more receptive to his music than were German ones.[11] During his break from music, Suzuki became a Jehovah's Witness, but left the organisation, considering himself a believer in the Bible without having to be a member of any denomination or church.[14]

He was first diagnosed with colon cancer when he was 33 years old; a disease that his father died of when Suzuki was five years old. He was diagnosed with colon cancer again in 2014 and given a 10% chance of survival.[1][15] He died on 9 February 2024, aged 74.[16] The documentary Energy explores Suzuki's battle with cancer and relationship with his wife.[17][18]

Legacy

Can are widely hailed as pioneers of the German krautrock scene.[19][20] According to the journalist Jo Vito, Suzuki "had an innovative and inimitable approach to singing, often improvising parts sung in a variety of languages (a blend he referred to as “the language of the Stone Age”)".[3]

The Fall's 1985 album This Nation's Saving Grace features a song "I Am Damo Suzuki", inspired by the singer.[21] The Fall's singer Mark E. Smith and Suzuki had become friends, and Suzuki used the song title for his 2019 biography "I am Damo Suzuki".[22][23] The rock band The Mooney Suzuki takes its name from Damo Suzuki and Can's earlier vocalist Malcolm Mooney.[24]

Discography

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Main article: Damo Suzuki discography

With Can

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Strauss, Matthew. "Damo Suzuki, Legendary Can Vocalist, Dies at 74". Pitchfork, 10 february 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024
  2. ↑ "Damo Suzuki, Can Vocalist, Dies At 74". Spin, 10 February 20240. Retrieved 11 February 2024
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Vito, Jo. "Damo Suzuki, Pioneering Vocalist of Can, Dead at 74". Consequence of Sound, 10 February. Retrieved 11 February 2024
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Walmsley, Derek. "Damo Suzuki: Can’s free-floating vocalist gave us some of the 1970s’ most open-minded rock music". The Guardian, 10 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  5. ↑ Damo Suzuki and Jelly Planet, All Tomorrow's Parties. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Cope, p. 55
  9. ↑ "Damo Suzuki Remembered: 'Life is so short, so face in front of you, not backside'". [Mojo (magazine)|[Mogo]], 10 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024
  10. ↑ Czukay, Holger (May 1997).A Short History of the Can – Discography, Perfect Sound Forever. Retrieved 6 January 2014
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Can at AllMusic
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ "I Am Damo Suzuki biography to be published by Omnibus Press". The Wire, 2 January 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2024
  23. ↑ Middles, Mick. "The Fall: This Nation's Saving Grace Omnibus Edition – review". The Quietus, 26 January 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2024
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Sources

External links

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