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Don't Let Your Age Limit You!
Friday 28th June 2013 | Abby
Stop yourself before you ever say “I am too old for it”, because age should not stop you from doing what you love and enjoy. It has been proven that age does not count by 80 year old singer-songwriter, fashionista, artist, activist, and musical curator, Yoko Ono.
Everybody has heard her name and knows who she is, but not everyone knows how busy, strong-willed, and energetic 80 year old Yoko Ono. Being one curious kicker, Ono is interested in the world, in the facts of life, and she aims to keep on going and doing as much as possible, a definite role model for everyone. On 17th September, Ono with her band, Plastic Ono Band, will release their latest album: Take Me to the Land of Hell. The album was produced by Ono’s son, Sean Lennon, and his Cibo Matto band-mate Yuka Honda. Take Me to the Land of Hell will include remixes by Mike D and Ad-Rock from the Beastie Boys. The album assures the pop-rock vibes merging with techno-spooky beats. The headlining track ‘Moonbeams’ is an ominous and uncanny track, opening with the chirping of birds and transitioning into the indolent instrumentals and Ono’s preternatural vocals. An interesting track that you can listen to it right here:
In a recent press release for Take Me to the Land of Hell, Ono announced:
“The energy I have right now, and the desire to continue to make as much great work as I can, is really moving me forward all the time. This album is the culmination of a lot od ideas I’ve been having over the last few years and I feel proud to release it at such an exciting time of my life.”
Despite her age, Ono continues to impress the world with her energy and offers the world more and more in the realm of the arts, music, fashion, philanthropy, and activism.
Born in Tokyo in 1933, Ono has since occupied many active roles throughout her life, from being an activist, pianist and vocalist, avant-garde fashion designer, music festival curator, film-maker, and of course, a wife and mother. This woman has continued to bring to the world an amazing amount of talent and interesting and experimental music that either captivates or shocks listeners. The Plastic Ono Band generates an interesting sound, with tunes that are composed of electronic, spooky, yet enthralling beats and vocals. Ono said:
“Music in my head. I dish them out to share it with you.”
Ono officially began her musical career in the early 1960s before collaborating with lover and later husband, John Lennon. Together the two worked on such tracks ‘Revolution 9’ and ‘The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill’. Since 1969, however, Ono has produced her own music with her band Plastic Ono Band, generating 14 studio albums prior to the release of Take Me to the Land of Hell. Ono in conjunction with Lennon produced seven studio albums, Ono also has taken part of a few tribute albums. Throughout Ono’s impressive musical career she has collaborated with large musical names such as Eric Clapton, Andy Warhol, Basement Jaxx, Pet Shop Boys, The Flaming Lips, and Peaches.
Check our Plastic Ono Band’s collaboration track with the Flaming Lips, ‘The Fear Litany’:
Ono’s style of music has brought to the foreground an attention to feminism, a topic that affects everyone, whether they believe it or not. Fulfilling her feminist role, Ono is also a philanthropist: actively raising awareness about AIDs, peace, and the arts. Ono has been a renowned activist since the 1960s, including protesting against the Vietnam War and even creating her own LennonOno grant for Peace award since 2002 offering $50, 000 to artists living in regions of conflict. Ono has lived her life always promoting peace for each and every person in this existence. Since the 1960s, Ono has been experimenting with conceptual art and performance art, featuring in ‘Cut Piece’ a performance art piece first performed in 1964 in Tokyo. Ono’s conceptual art includes her series of art books, Grapefruit first printed it in 1964, and has reprinted up until recent years. Only last year, Ono won the 2012 Oskar Kokoschka Prize, which is highest Austrian award for contemporary art today. Corresponding with Ono’s 80th birthday, Frankfurt held a retrospective exhibition of Ono’s work earlier this year. With her own fashion line going, Ono also took the role as London’s Meltdown Festival curator, organising many events, activities (including talks and debates), and great live performances, by artists such as Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie, Savages, Peaches, Thurston Moore, Viv Albertine, and Neneh Cherry, and of course the wonderful performance by Ono herself.
Whether her music, art, activism, or fashion takes your fancy or not, it is important to acknowledge Ono for her amazing ability, energy, and optimism. Ono stated:
“I love dancing. I think it’s better to dance than to march through life. That’s what I do... It’s a good way to go through life. Got rhythm, got the beat, and you got life.”
Despite the criticism that she has received throughout her life, and especially since her relationship with John Lennon developed, Ono has conquered her critics, by living positively, pushing through and never backing down. Yoko Ono is an inspiration to say the least.
Written By Abby Donkin @AbbyDonkin
