Web Pages with Misinformation on Nobuyuki Tsujii
Nobuyuki Tsujii no es sindrome de Down. La información no es verdad. Please stop spreading misinformation about Nobuyuki Tsujii!
The Internet is a wonderful tool -- except when it is used inappropriately.
For whatever reasons, there has been a proliferation of web pages and YouTube videos that contain misinformation on Nobuyuki Tsujii.
Often in Spanish or Portuguese, and more recently in Russian, these web pages/videos make statements that Mr. Tsujii has mental disabilities beyond his blindness, such as Down's Syndrome ( Síndrome de Down in Spanish) or autism, or that Mr. Tsujii is an “idiot savant”. Some posting mislabel him as Chinese (CHINO in Spanish). Perhaps for dramatic effect, one such posting even mentioned that Nobu is 10 years old!
For what it's worth, I put together a frequently asked question page to refute some of these misconceptions.
I have the utmost respect for those who do have these mental conditions mistakenly attributed to Nobu, but, for the record, I have met Mr. Tsujii in person and I can tell you unequivocally that he does not have any of those conditions. Posting this misleading information is both unfair to Mr. Tsujii as well as to people who do have these conditions.
I try to contact the site owners of the sites/videos with misinformation that have been brought to my attention. Some of them replied and took action, but many did not. And they keep coming up, as in the "whack-a-mole" game. Reasonable people would ignore them, but I am afraid these videos and articles come up for a reason: not to honor Mr. Tsujii, but to advance some agenda unrelated to Nobu or piano music.
Below you will find a list of such pages and videos that have been brought to my attention. If you are so inclined, I encourage you to contact the owners and request corrective action. If you come across other pages or videos that contain such misinformation, please feel free to contact me to give me the link.
Known Offensive Postings:
April 8 2022 www.forumlibertas.com/nobuyuki-tsujii/
January 25 2021
Nobuyuki Tsujii - “La Campanella” de Frans Liszt
Pianista Japonés nació ciego y con el Síndrome de Down. Pocos pianistas han conseguido interpretar esta difícil pieza.
June 28
Video posted to Twitter of Nobu performing at the G20 Summit held in Osaka, Japan
The film clip appears to be from Aljazeera News, but the text (in Arabic) of the tweet from the poster says
العازف Nobuyuki Tsujii مُصاب بالعمى ومتلازمة داون يؤدي مقطوعة موسيقية جميلة قبل قليل في العشاء الرسمي #G20
رهيب مُتمكن
[Nobuyuki Tsujii is blind and Down Syndrome - performs a beautiful piece of music just before the official dinner # G20
Awesome awesome
March 27
YouTube video Síndrome De Down,NOBUYUKI TSUJII,Interpreta "LA CAMPANELLA" De FRANS LISZT,..
March 21
https://twitter.com/ccpmiranda/status/1108714778833375232
21 de Marzo. Día Mundial del Síndrome de Down: Todos somos diferentes, todos tenemos capacidades, solo tenemos que descubrirlas. Pianista Nobuyuki Tsujii, pianista y compositor japonés
Kudos to CCPMiranda @ccpmiranda for responding promptly: "Good afternoon, perfect no problem, we proceed to remove the video, we apologize for the inconvenience caused."
Also: https://twitter.com/TwitErnst/status/1108814372716138503
March 14 2019 Facebook post
El es Nobuyuki Tsujii, tiene síndrome de down, pero miren que majestuosa interpretación de " la Campanella", seamos incluyentes.
"He is nobuyuki tsuji; he has down syndrome, but look at what majestic interpretation of 'LA Campanella', Let's be inclusive."
March 2 2019 Instagram by lic.veronicaposteraro
Feb 22 2019 https://twitter.com/AhoraMasYo/status/1098957057754058752
"Nobuyuki Tsujii- 28 años Pianista y compositor Japonés Ahhh y Síndrome Down"
...
Pianista con Down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSbrNQjL7Pw
October 9 2018
And now it is on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BiKsUfygk5O/
April 6 2018
Isabella Fiorentino (a fashion model in São Paulo, Brazil) facebook posting
https://www.facebook.com/isabellafiorentinoh/videos/1860206430696961/
Hoje minha homenagem nao é apenas para as pessoas com Síndrome de Down. É tb para aquelas que, por sua condição, não tiveram oportunidade de nascer. Foram rejeitadas por seus pais . Dia 21 de março, dia mundial da Síndrome de Down. “Ele é o Nobuyuki Tsujii, 28 anos, capaz de interpretar “la campanella” de forma magistral. Melhor q o compositor de ...
[Today, my honor is not just for people with Down Syndrome. It is also for those who, because of their condition, did not have the opportunity to be born. They were rejected by their parents. March 21, World Day of Down Syndrome.He is Nobuyuki Tsujii, 28 years old, capable of interpreting 'la campanella' masterfully. Better than the composer of ...]
February 7 2018
Mauro Martínez @MauroBustamante on Twitter: "
Nobuyuki Tsujii 2 and 7mos years old (1991). Niño ciego y con Down"
November 6 2017
"MYSHARE" "Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 'Tempest': III. Allegretto"
" Nobuyuki Tsujii is a blind Japanese pianist with Down syndrome playing Beethoven - Piano Sonata No.17 in D minor,Op.31,No.2 (The Tempest),3rd movement ..."
September 4 2017
http://noticieros.televisa.com/videos/pianista-invidente-y-sindrome-down-rompe-barreras/#
Noticieros Televista , a division of the Mexican Televisa radio and television network, posted Nobu's 2013 BBC Proms Debut performance with the heading "Pianista invidente y con Síndrome de Down rompe barreras (translated from Spanish : Blind and Down Syndrome pianist overcomes barriers)"
April 7 2017
http://noticieros.televisa.com/videos/pianista-invidente-y-sindrome-down-rompe-barreras/
March 17 2017
October 12 2015
http://elenatomaxxl.blogspot.com/2015/10/orb-si-autist-nobuyuki-tsujii-se.html
An article posted on a Romanian website for the blind entitled "Orb și autist, Nobuyuki Tsujii se dovedește un pianist de excepție" (Blind and autistic pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii proves an exception).
August 19 2015
Overvatorul, a Romanian website http://observatorul.ro/Cultur%C4%83/Nobuyuki-Tsujii,-pianistul-nevazator-dorit-de-toate-orchestr_2698
Nobuyuki Tsujii, un pianist de exceptie! Acest pianist nascut in 1988, nevazator - unii sustin ca ar avea si note autiste - interpreteaza La Campanella lui Liszt intr-un mod absolut excepțional. Si nu numai atat... (Nobuyuki Tsujii, an exceptional pianist! This pianist born in 1988, blind - and some would argue that autistic notes - plays Liszt's La Campanella in an absolutely exceptional. And not only that...)
This appears to be a respectable website. I posted a comment about the "autistic" reference.
July 5 2015
http://valepublicar.com.br/o-som-do-piano-de-nobuyuki-tsujii/
In an article about Nobu, it is written that "O pianista do vídeo em anexo é cego e portador da Síndrome de Down."
I submitted an email on July 21 requesting a correction,
May 23, 2015
https://websta.me/n/le.pianista#OhoLGU1lZrvTIuSL.99 (instagram blog)
le.pianista #repost but this is respect, this young man has down syndrome and he is blind yet he plays this piece better than I can. #liszt la campanella 1mon
March 17, 2015
http://tiflologia.blogspot.com/2015_03_01_archive.html
Near the bottom of the rightmost panel on this blog page is a small photo of Nobu and his co-medalists at the Cliburn Competition, with this caption:
PIANISTA CIEGO CHINO
Nobuyuki Tsujii obtiene primer lugar en certamen internacional de pianistas jóvenes.
(BLIND CHINESE PIANIST
Nobuyuki Tsujii wins at an international competition for young pianists)
and clicking the caption leads to a YouTube video titled "Niño ciego y síndrome de Down, AL PIANO (Blind child and Down syndrome, THE PIANO)"
February 12, 2015
Lately there has been a stream of postings about Nobu, in Portuguese. For whatever reasons, there is a rumor circulating among people in Brazil that Nobu has Down's Syndrome, as in this posting, which would have been a great tribute to Nobu except for spreading that misinformation. I had not seen this information for a while and had thought that misinformation has been put to rest ...
https://prosaepolitica.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/bom-dia-especial/
BOM DIA ESPECIAL!
13/02/2015
Leo Mederovsk
... Mas imaginem os leitores que alguém nasça cego e, ainda por cima, portador de Síndrome de Down. E que aprenda piano. Tal é o caso do executante que aqui apresentará a peça: Nobuyuki Tsujii. Um anjo que consegue transmitir a criação do compositor, numa interpretação perfeita. E explica-se porque. Sem a leitura, pode canalizar de maneira perfeitamente livre essa composição, sem precisar decifrar as notas e demais códigos musicais escritos ...
GOOD DAY SPECIAL!
02/13/2015
Leo Mederovsk
... But imagine readers that someone born blind and, moreover,a Down Syndrome patient. And capable of learning the piano. Such is the case of the performer that we'll showcase in this piece: Nobuyuki Tsujii. An angel who can transmit the creation of the composer, in a perfect interpretation. And the reason why? He does not read, but he can channel perfectly and freely decipher the notes and annotations of compositions...
....
February 14, 2015
Happy news. The site where the posting above appeared made a posting addressing my response:
https://prosaepolitica.wordpress.com/2015/02/14/um-importante-esclarecimento-sobre-o-bom-dia/
Dear Nobufans participant: Probably Mr/Mrs does not have sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language to achieve understanding of the whole text and over, then yes, for being unfair with us.
Of course we apologize and hurry to disclose this impropriety, because it is important to note that does not move us any bother for this syndrome, and the dear imagined. The text calls Mr. Nobuyuki of “Angel” and praises him for scoring forward the creation of the composer, in a perfect interpretation. And explain why. No reading, he can channel perfectly free way this composition without decipher the notes and other written musical codes ...
Thank you,Mr. Mederovsk, for being so responsive to my comment!
OLDER Offensive Postings:
◆ http://oasiseducacaoinclusiva.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-historia-de-nobuyuki-tsujii-pianista.htm "A história de Nobuyuki Tsujii, pianista cego e com síndrome de Down"
◆ https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=B3OwebZy3rk Niño ciego y síndrome de Down, AL PIANO Uploaded on Mar 17, 2011
◆http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Sjws8BwI4 O Pianista cego e com síndrome de down uploaded by ANDERSON COELHO DE FREITAS on Nov. 6, 2014
◆http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjvopQz1Ljc menino pianista cego e com síndrome de Down uploaded Sep 7, 2012 by Carlos Queiroz
◆http://www.scribd.com/doc/235249896/El-sindrome-de-Down-y-el-destino-libre-1-pdf
El síndrome de Down y el destino, posted by José Mejía R. Marzo 25,2014 - yet another such posting in Spanish.
◆http://www.academia.edu/6541531/SINDROME_DE_DOWN_3_21_Y_EL_DESTINO
This link no longer works. The author responded to my request promptly and I thank him for his quick action and his courtesy.
The paper has been revised http://www.academia.edu/6557143/EL_DESTINO_Y_SUS_PRUEBAS and still bears a photo of Nobu and the title of the paper still says "El síndrome de Down y el destino", although the text now mentions Nobu with blindness but not Down's syndrome.
◆http://art-of-arts.livejournal.com/609599.html , Russian
May 16, 2013 posting
NOBUYUKI TSUJII
Есть прОклятые земли, где родители отказываются от своих детей, рождённых с физическими дефектами, сдавая их в государственные богадельни, напоминающие тюрьмы.
Редкие жители тех, обречённых на гибель, мест осознают духовное уродство окружающей их среды.
И есть другие страны - мы привычно называем их "цивилизованными".
На самом деле секрет вовсе не в какой-то особой, надмирной цивилизации.
Секрет - в способности людей открывать свои сердца тем, кто, на первый взгляд, обделён физическим совершенством.
Мальчик по имени Нобуйуки Цюджии родился с серьёзными телесными недостатками.
Он был поражён Даун-синдромом, к тому же абсолютно слеп.
Беззаветная любовь родителей и помощь окружающих семью людей позволили ему стать полноценным членом общества.
Кто подсчитает, сколько любви, самоотверженного труда и веры в чудо было вложено в то, чтобы Нобуйуки Ц
NOBUYUKI TSUJII
There is a curse of land where parents abandon their children born with physical defects, handing them to the state almshouse, reminiscent of prison.
Rare inhabitants of those condemned to death, places of spiritual ugliness aware of their environment.
And there are other countries - we usually refer to them as "civilized."
In fact, the secret is not in any kind of special,-worldly civilization.
The Secret - the ability of people to open their hearts to those who, at first glance, deprived physical perfection.
A boy named Nobuyuki Tsyudzhii born with serious bodily flaws.
He was struck by Down syndrome, also is blind.
The selfless love of parents and the help of people around the family allowed him to become a full member of society.
Who will calculate how much love, hard work and faith in the miracle has been put into ensuring that Nobuyuki Tsyudzhii could make the leap out of the darkness odinochestva to people endlessly grateful for his art! ...
◆http://ameblo.jp/peraperaopera/entry-11575682984.html
A blog post by a Japanese who was at Nobu's triumphant 2013 BBC Proms performance. Standing right in front of the stage, she apparently used her cell phone to take many photos of Nobu on stage at the end of the performance, such as this one
image shown via Internet link
Unfortunately, this blogger ruined it all for me with this paragraph:
ぎっ しり立っているので回りの観客の様子もよく見えるのですが、ハンデを乗り越えた素晴らしい演奏に、皆さんとても感動しているのがよくわかりました。才能は あっても、盲人で自閉症の彼がここまで弾けるようになるまでにどれほどの努力をしたのだろうと思うと胸が熱くなります。I see the audience around me well, because they were standing closely, and I could tell that the great performance of one who has overcome such handicap had impressed everyone. My chest became hot when I think of the effort that it must take, talent not withstanding, to achieve this in spite of his blindness and autism.
I posted this comment:
Thank you for the sharing your Proms experience, and the photos are excellent.
But you wrote: 盲人で自閉症
Nobu is blind. But he is not autistic. As a Japanese, you should know better than to propagate this rumour. It is not fair to Mr. Tsujii.
To her credit, this blogger has since responded to my comment, and amended her statement, although I would prefer that she remove the statement completely.
◆Ele é cego, tem Síndrome de Down, é um gênio
http://mariomarcos.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/ele-e-cego-tem-sindrome-de-down-e-um-genio/
In response to a reader's comment, this poster wrote that Nobu's long skinny fingers is a classical symptom of people with Down's Syndrome. This poster probably saw some YouTube video displayed with incorrect aspect ratios. Nobu's fingers are normal sized - anyone who has seen him perform live can tell you.
◆YouTube video Kama G El Pianista http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKuZr4zggw
◆YouTube video Niño pianista ciego y con síndrome de Down. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=030MGccQ5Qg
◆This site has a posting http://www.alcarrizosdigital.net/?p=32561 titled ¡Increíble! ¡Fenomeno pianista, ciego y con el Síndrome de Down!
◆http://art-of-arts.livejournal.com/609599.html
Arthur Kalmeyer ( art_of_arts ) wrote:
Nobuyuki Tsujii
Of those rare people who are doomed to perish, places are aware of the spiritual ugliness of their environment.
And there are other countries - we usually refer to them as "civilized."
In fact, the secret is not in any kind of special,-worldly civilization.
The Secret - the ability of people to open their hearts to those who, at first glance, deprived physical perfection.
A boy named Nobuyuki Tsyudzhii born with serious bodily flaws.
He was struck by Down syndrome, also is blind.
The selfless love of parents and the help of people around the family allowed him to become a full member of society.
Who will calculate how much love, hard work and faith in the miracle has been put into ensuring that Nobuyuki Tsyudzhii could make the leap from the darkness odinochestva to people endlessly grateful for his art! ...
◆http://blog.imhonet.ru/author/doral/post/6864580/ <Russian site>
This is one of the wonders that
humanity can be proud of: from disabilities (Down syndrome and blindness)
grew a great musician! How much is invested in labor and he did it! And yet - as a huge influence on music
Nobuyuki Tsujii