♫ Pianist Appreciation: Reuben Kee ♫

Reuben Kee (紀恩鋭), born July 9, 1984 (same age as me O_o), was a Singaporean dragon-boat paddler, composer and part-time model. He was also known for contributions within the M.U.G.E.N community, serving as one of its most recognizable names. As for his music, a large amount was based upon remixes of video game music.

I've been listening to his music for a few years until recently discovered that he died on November 23, 2007 as the result of a boating accident in Cambodia. What a sad news. Reuben played around with the piano since a very young age, but it was when he was 12 that he decided to pick it up on his own. Although his piano training stopped at grade 3, the skill he displayed with despite imperfect techniques at the piano always impressed and won crowds. Drawn to music which he heard in games, he started to play his own arrangements and variations based on them.

Here's a lovely song by Reuben Kee, with the title "To Far Away Times", is always my all time favorite.

To Far Away Times
Somewhere/Beyond the rain and autumn plains, the snow/That litters the countryside/I find a piece of you
And somewhere/Beyond the frozen fields, I clearly see/The end of our misery/A part of the place we knew
And slowly down through the fire, burning/Into this darkness I fall/

Your presence right here beside me, yearning/Through it all

dokoka/ame to aki matsu no mukou/inaka no yuki ni/anata mitsukeru
(Somewhere/Beyond the rain and autumn plains, the snow/
That litters the countryside/I find a piece of you)
dokoka/kotta hara no mukou, atashi/mijimesa musabi/shiteta dokoro ni
(And somewhere/Beyond the frozen fields, I clearly see/The end of our misery/A part of the place we knew)

And as the shadow dawns upon us/All I seem to think about is/Where our hope has faded away/Into

kage wo miedashitara/kangaeru dake wa/shioreta nozomi
doko ni...
(And as the shadow dawns upon us/All I seem to think about is/
Where our hope has faded away/Into)

And somewhere/Beyond the hills below the horizon sun/A life that has just begun/A life we’re meant to know
dokoka/ame to aki matsu no mukou/inaka no yuki ni/anata mitsukeru
(Somewhere/Beyond the rain and autumn plains, the snow/That litters the countryside/I find a piece of you)