Sudoku Maker Maki Kaji Dies at 69 but That Was Not to Be
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ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13 People & Places Books ‘She Persisted’ books ‘Baby Girl’ on Aaliyah is singer’s tragic tale By Mae Anderson aby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah,’ by ‘BKathy Iandoli (Atria Books) R&B singer Aaliyah is best known for two events that bookended her career: becoming involved with infamous singer R. Kelly as a teen, and the tragic plane crash that ended her life at age 22, just days before 9/11. “Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah,” by veteran music journalist Kathy Iandoli, aims to fi ll in the sto- ry between those two events, for Aaliyah fans new and old. The book traces Aaliyah’s musical devel- opment and collaboration with many different R&B producers and artists, her burgeoning fi lm career, and indelible imprint on fashion. But 20 years after her death, a sense of Aaliyah’s personality still remains elusive. With a silky smooth voice, Aaliyah Haughton was signed for a record deal with her un- cle in Detroit when she was just 12. Two years later, she teamed with R. Kelly to make her fi rst record “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number.” She Aaliyah became involved with R. Kel- ly and the two were secretly married when Aaliyah was just 15. Her parents discovered this and quickly annulled the marriage. But the scandal tarnished Aaliyah’s reputation more than R. Kelly, who is currently on trial for sex traffi cking charges stemming more than two decades. She was portrayed as a teen seductress rather than one of the fi rst of R. Kelly’s many victims. The scandal led to Aaliyah becoming extremely private in ensuing years, but she kept recording hit records. She teamed with then-unknowns Timbaland In this Oct. 20, 2007, fi le photo, Ronald Osher, of Stamford Conn., works on his puzzle in the fi nal round during the Philadelphia Inquirer Sudoku National Champion- and Missy Elliot for her second record “One in a Mil- ship in Philadelphia. Maki Kaji (inset), known as the ‘Godfather of Sudoku,’ the numbers puzzle he created that’s drawn fans around the world, has died, a spokes- lion,” which has sold 8 million copies worldwide. man for his Japanese company said Tuesday, Aug. 17. He was 69. (AP) Meanwhile, she was making her mark in the fash- ion and movie industries. Her signature style of a crop top or bandeau top paired with baggy jeans, with long hair partially covering her left eye, is Obituaries emblematic of her “sweet but street” style and still emulated today. She had roles in the movies “Romeo Must Die” and “Queen of the Damned” and was set to act in the “Matrix” sequels before she died. ‘Godfather of Sudoku’ saw life’s joy in puzzles Aaliyah’s “Try Again” beat out Britney Spears’ “”Oops!... I Did It Again” video and Christina Agu- ilera’s “What a Girl Wants” to win best female video at the MTV video awards in 2000, another sign she was poised for super stardom. Sudoku maker Maki Kaji dies at 69 But that was not to be. On August 25, 2001, Aali- yah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas, where she TOKYO, Aug 17, (AP): Maki Kaji, the was shooting a music video for her third and fi nal creator of the popular numbers puzzle self-titled album, “Aaliyah.” The plane was found to Sudoku whose life’s work was spread- Gino Strada, Italian surgeon be badly overloaded. ing the joy of puzzles, has died, his For years, Aaliyah’s music has been unavailable Japanese company said Tuesday. He on streaming platforms, with the exception of her was 69 and had bile duct cancer. fi rst album, “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number.” Known as the “Godfather of Su- for victims of war, has died But following a fan campaign on social media with doku,” Kaji created the puzzle to the hashtag #FreeAaliyahMusic, Blackground Re- be easy for children and others who ROME, Aug 17, (AP): Gino Strada, in the last few days. cords said it plans to release the albums to streaming didn’t want to think too hard. Its name an Italian surgeon who co-founded Strada wrote that the blitz services on Aug. 20, in time for the 20th anniversary is made up of the Japanese characters the humanitarian group Emergency “shouldn’t surprise anyone who has for “number” and “single,” and players to provide medical care for civilian a discrete knowledge of Afghani- of Aaliyah’s death. The move is not without contro- victims of war and poverty in many stan or at least a good memory.” versy. Aaliyah’s family estate does not support the This cover image released by Atria place the numbers 1 through 9 in rows, shows ‘Baby Girl: Better known as columns and blocks without repeating countries, and was a fi erce critic of “It seems to be that both are release. Aaliyah’ by Kathy Iandoli. (AP) them. the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, lacking - or, better - both were al- But it will give a new generation of fans an easier Ironically, it wasn’t until 2004 when has died. He was 73. ways lacking,” Strada wrote in the way to hear more of Aaliyah’s body of work. And Sudoku became a global hit, after a fan His daughter, Cecilia Strada, La Stampa opinion piece. “The war “Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah” should serve from New Zealand pitched it and got tweeted: “Friends, my dad #Gi- against Afghanistan has been - no as a useful companion to those discovering Aaliyah’s it published in the British newspaper noStrada is no more.’’ Emergency more, no less - a war of aggression, music for the fi rst time via these platforms. The Times. Two years later, Japan re- announced Friday that “Our belov- launched after the Sept. 11 attack, Also: discovered its own puzzle as a “gyaku- ed Gino died this morning. He was by the United States, to which yunyu,” or “reimport.” founder, surgeon, executive direc- all the Western countries tagged NEW YORK: Chelsea Clinton has a full schedule of Kaji was chief executive at his puz- tor, the soul of Emergency.” along.” books coming in 2022. zle company, Nikoli Co., until July and Neither cited a cause of death, Strada wrote that in his seven The daughter of former president Bill Clinton and died Aug. 10 at his home in Mitaka, a but the website of Corriere della years in Afghanistan, “I saw the former secretary of state Hillary Clinton is continu- Sera newspaper said Strada had number of wounded and the vio- city in the Tokyo metro area. been suffering from heart problems lence increase, while the country ing her popular “She Persisted” children’s series with Maki traveled to more than 30 “She Persisted in Science: Brilliant Women Who for years, and died in France. became progressively devoured by countries spreading his enjoyment of Prominent among Emergency’s insecurity and corruption.” Made a Difference.” Chelsea Clinton will write the puzzles. Sudoku championships have book, which honors Florence Nightingale, Jane Wu Newsom medical missions in 19 countries Referring to his anti-war stance, drawn some 200 million people in 100 was Afghanistan. Strada wrote: “We were saying 20 Goodall and Greta Thunberg among others, and countries over the years, according to Alexandra Boiger will provide illustrations. Exactly on the day of his death, years ago that this war would be a Tokyo-based Nikoli. Italian newspaper La Stampa had disaster for everybody. Today the “She Persisted in Science” comes out March 1, Variety Sudoku was also never trademarked Philomel Books announced Friday. Philomel is a published an article by Strada in outcome of that aggression is be- except within Japan, driving its over- light of the Taliban’s rapid military fore our eyes: a failure from every Penguin Random House imprint. seas craze, Nikoli said. takeover of key cities in the country point of view.” Clinton and Boiger, along with illustrator Gillian BEIJING: Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu was arrested Monday on suspicion of “Kaji-san came up with the name Flint, also will collaborate on 10 new “She Persist- rape in a high-profi le case that followed Sudoku and was loved by puzzle ed” chapter books, including works on Coretta Scott an accusation the singer had .... with a fans from all over the world. We are Hokkaido, Maki started Japan’s fi rst to more than 100 media companies, 10 King, Maya Lin, Wilma Mankiller and Temple 17-year-old while she was drunk and lured grateful from the bottom of our hearts puzzle magazine after dropping out of of them foreign ones. Grandin. Clinton will write the introductions, Boiger young women into sexual relationships. for the patronage you have shown Keio University in Tokyo. He founded Major Japanese newspaper Mainichi will create the cover art and Flint the drawings in- The prosecutor’s offi ce of the Beijing throughout his life,” the company said Nikoli in 1983, and came up with Su- in its obituary credited Kaji for starting side. Authors will range from Kelly Starling Lyons district of Chaoyang said in a one-sentence in a statement. doku about the same time. the puzzle sections at bookstores, as for the King book to Aisha Saeed writing about statement that Wu’s arrest was formally ap- Originally, Sudoku was called Yoshinao Anpuku, who succeeded well as introducing the word “Sudoku” Malala Yousafzai. proved but gave no details of the charges. “Suji-wa-Dokushin-ni-Kagiru,” which Kaji as Nikoli’s chief executive, said into the Oxford English dictionary.