Hiroki Morimoto will be celebrating a musical milestone when he hits the stage at Fuji Rock Festival this year: 20 years with his instrument of choice, the didgeridoo. A serious car accident nine years ago, however, nearly brought his musical career to an end.
¡°I was driving with my daughter and suddenly had a strange feeling in my gut, like what we call mushi no shirase (a premonition) in Japanese,¡± Morimoto, 45, recalls. ¡°I decided to take my daughter home and went back out toward the highway, where the accident happened. I¡¯m hazy about the details ¡ª I just remember getting hit from behind and the pressure pushing me forward.¡±
Morimoto, an award-winning artist who goes by the name Goma, spent the next 24 hours in a coma. Partially paralyzed, he suffered from epilepsy and often had seizures. The accident also badly affected his long- and short-term memory. He had no recollection of his didgeridoo career and for several months the instrument felt alien to him.
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