Coconuts Musume
| Coconuts Musume | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Coconuts Musume Ayaka |
| Origin | Japan |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1999–2008 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | Hello! Project.com |
| Past members | |
Coconuts Musume (ココナッツ娘。 Kokonattsu Musume.?) was a group from Hello! Project that was formed and promoted as the "girls from Hawaii." After nine years, the group officially disbanded when Ayaka Kimura graduated from Hello! Project.
While in Hawaii, Tsunku's fellow band-mate from Sharam Q, Makoto, discovered the five girls who were to become Coconuts Musume. He had requested that Tsunku pick up the act, and in 1999, Coconuts Musume debuted on a Japanese television program, Asayan.
The group originally consisted of Ayaka Kimura, Mika Todd, Chelsea Ching, Danielle DeLaunay, and April Barbaran, with Chelsea taking lead vocals. After two singles, Chelsea and April left the group due to the difficulties of adjusting to life as a J-pop idol (neither spoke any Japanese when the group was formed) and to pursue other careers, such as modeling.
Lehua Sandbo was then recruited as a member, and the group made two more singles until DeLaunay, who also had difficulties adjusting, left to pursue a career in theater. After DeLaunay left, the group switched from the Sony Music Entertainment Japan label to the Zetima label. Between "Watashi mo 'I Love You'" of Sony Music Entertainment Japan and "Jōnetsu Yuki Miraisen" of Zetima, sales increased by almost a quarter according to Oricon charts.
After one more single, Sandbo, too, retired from the group, went on to the American pageant circuit, and eventually married and gave birth to a daughter. The remaining duo, Todd and Kimura, never released anything else under the Coconuts Musume name, though they contributed to Hello! Project compilations, performed songs (including English covers) during Hello! Project concerts, and became Japanese spokespersons for Dole pineapples. They also appeared on and hosted various radio and television shows separately.
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