Yoko Ono at 80, the Controversial Artist Is Still Full of Passion—And Surprises
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ISSUE #29 MMUSICMAG.COM SPOTLIGHT arner G ate K YOKO ONO At 80, the controversial artist is still full of passion—and surprises TO A YOUNGER GENERATION, YOKO Passion defines Ono’s art and life. “That’s Ono isn’t the dragon lady who broke up one thing that’s always been there,” she the Beatles. She’s a multitasking, forward- says. “Not having passion could have thinking artist who’s scored 10 No. 1 dance a serious consequence.” hits, collaborated with stars including Ono is 80—a fact that never crosses Lady Gaga, the Flaming Lips, and Iggy Pop, her mind. “The future is now,” she says. and staged cutting-edge art exhibitions—as “Instead of looking at the future we have and well as an activist who works relentlessly appreciating it, we tend to look at the past, to raise awareness on issues ranging from at things that are bad. We just don’t have the natural gas fracking to AIDS, autism and time or luxury now to be that negative. We same-sex marriage. She also fronts the Yoko have to keep doing things that are positive.” Issue #29 Ono Plastic Ono Band. And while she strives to live in the moment, Take Me to the Land of Hell, much of Ono’s thoughts are still focused on M MUSIC & MUSICIANS produced with son Sean Lennon and what she and John created together. She’s MAGAZINE multi-instrumentalist Yuka Honda, is Ono’s filtered out the controversy that made her newest release. It is perhaps her most the target of derision from those who felt her sonically and topically varied recording meddling split the legendary band, choosing to date, with songs ranging from tender instead to remember the affirmative outlook ballads to raging noise-rock and pounding the couple maintained. “When people would rhythmic dance blasters. Lenny Kravitz, say something negative, that was distant to tUnE-yArDs and the Roots’ Questlove are us,” she says. among the guests. While some of the lyrics’ Ono has high hopes for the world. “I imagery can be construed as violent—like think we are going to finally wake up, and, lines depicting “strangling the birds” and in the last moment, we will get together and “blood river”—Ono says her use of such use our incredible intelligence,” she says. stark words is not in conflict with her “We’re going to survive, even if we have to lifelong promotion of world peace. “When move to another planet. But it’s a beautiful you hear my records you think, ‘Oh dear, planet, so why leave? We will heal it and she’s very negative.’ But the positivity of make it beautiful again. In 50 years we’ll life is extremely complicated,” she says. have heaven on Earth.” “There are layers to it. It’s about passion.” –Jeff Tamarkin 18 M mag 29.indd 18 8/26/13 11:56 PM.