• Yoshiki also revealed he is collaborating on a talent TV program with Japan’s NTV channel that will concentrate on dance groups and rock bands

Arab News Japan

TOKYO: British singing star Sarah Brightman plans to collaborate with Japanese superstar Yoshiki in a Christmas special later this year.

The two music stars held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan on Thursday to announce their collaboration.

X Japan leader, pianist, drummer and composer Yoshiki, who lives in Los Angeles, was in Japan to commemorate his mother, who died last month, and noted how music was important to his life and the lives of others.

“My mother died last month and I came back for the 49th day ceremony and music is one of the things that is helping me now,” Yoshiki said. “My fans told me how my music had supported them when they had a hard time. Music is universal and it can help people, including me.”

Brightman said the secret to her success was “having a passion for life” and noted the spirituality in all music. “I think we’re all spiritual,” she said. “Especially as musicians when you can use that in your music. It’s a lovely thing to do. Many people have come up to me and told me how music helped them when they had cancer or were depressed. A world without music would be a very poor place indeed.”

But Brightman, who made her name in musicals, revealed a little-known secret: “You don’t have to like musicals. I didn’t like them for years. I appreciated them, but I didn’t really enjoy going to them and often now I don’t enjoy going to them. I’d rather go to an opera or a rock concert.”

Brightman and Yoshiki originally met on a film set in 2008 and are happy to be working together. “You always wonder why artists collaborate,” Brightman said. “I’ve always felt that Yoshiki and I are very unique artists and we’re both very innovative in our work.”

When asked what she knew about Japanese music, Brightman revealed another hidden part of her knowledge. “You get a lot of Japanese music from anime, which is absolutely beautiful,” she said. “I love it, so I know a huge amount of music from anime.”

Yoshiki said that if Japanese artists wanted to be successful overseas, they had to get out of their comfort zone: Japan. “Going to the United States, I had to start all over again,” he said. “It was a real challenge, but it was worth it.”

Yoshiki also revealed he is collaborating on a talent TV program with Japan’s NTV channel that will concentrate on dance groups and rock bands.