Country musume
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Country Musume | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Background information | ||
| Also known as | Country Musume ni Rika Ishikawa Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto |
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| Genre(s) | Japanese pop | |
| Years active | 1999-present | |
| Label(s) | zetima | |
| Associated acts |
Morning Musume, H!P Summer Shuffles, v-u-den | |
| Website | Hello! Project.com | |
| Members | ||
| Asami Kimura Mai Satoda Miuna Saito Miki Fujimoto |
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| Former members | ||
| Asami Konno Rika Ishikawa Rinne Toda Azusa Kobayashi Hiromi Yanagihara |
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Country Musume (カントリー娘。 kantorii musume?) is a female pop group in the Hello! Project umbrella of singers (the more popular idols within H!P include Morning Musume, Aya Matsuura, Maki Goto, and others). The group was formed in 1999 and was billed as "Country Girls from Hokkaido". The initial group consisted of members and Hokkaido natives Rinne Toda, Azusa Kobayashi, and Hiromi Yanagihara.
Shortly after release of their first single in July 1999, Hiromi was killed in a car accident. After the tragedy, Azusa departed from the group and Rinne carried on as a soloist, releasing 2 singles under the "Country Musume" name by herself. In summer of 2000, Asami Kimura was added to the group and the duo released one more single.
Their popularity rose when Morning Musume's Rika Ishikawa, who's from Kanagawa and not Hokkaido, was lent into the group in April 2001. The trio, under the name "Country Musume featuring Rika Ishikawa (Morning Musume)", released 2 singles and an album. Early in 2002, Mai Satoda was recruited into the group. (Mai initially auditioned to be a Morning Musume member but was recruited into Country Musume instead.)
The quartet released one single before Rinne, the remaining original member, bid farewell at the end of 2002. Afterwards, Asami, Rika, and Mai released one more single.
In mid-2003, Country Musume had a major shift in its roster. Miuna Saito, who's from Shizuoka, was recruited into the group. Instead of Rika Ishikawa, the group featured Asami Konno and Miki Fujimoto from Morning Musume (both are Hokkaido natives). Under this new formation (named "Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto"), the quintet has released three singles as of date. will now In 2004 Country Musume (but not the featured singers) participated in Hello! Project's Folk Songs CD (fifth in the series), where various H!P artists sing covers of Japanese and Western folk songs.
On November 25, 2006, it was announced on Hello! Project's official site that Asami and Miuna would graduate from Country Musume and Hello! Project after its 10th anniversary concert on January 28, 2007.
Contents |
[edit] Discography
- Singles
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- Futari no Hokkaido (二人の北海道 futari no hokkaidō?) (23 July 1999) - Hiromi Yanagihara, Azusa Kobayashi, Rinne Toda
- Yuki Geshiki (雪景色?) (30 November 1999) - Rinne Toda
- Hokkaido Shalala (北海道シャララ hokkaidō sharara?) (27 April 2000) - Rinne Toda
- Koi ga sutekina kisetsu (恋がステキな季節?) (31 July 2000) - Rinne Toda, Asami Kimura
- Hajimete no Happy Birthday (初めてのハッピーバースディ hajimete no happii baasudi?) (18 April 2001) - Rinne Toda, Asami Kimura, featuring Rika Ishikawa
- Koibito wa kokoro no Oendan (恋人はこころの応援団 koibito wa kokoro no ōendan?) (17 October 2001) - Rinne Toda, Asami Kimura, featuring Rika Ishikawa
- Iroppoi Onna ~SEXY BABY!~ (色っぽい女 ~SEXY BABY!~?) (17 April 2002) - Rinne Toda, Asami Kimura, Mai Satoda, featuring Rika Ishikawa
- BYE BYE! Saigo no Yoru (BYE BYE 最後の夜?) (13 November 2002) - Asami Kimura, Mai Satoda, featuring Rika Ishikawa
- Uwaki na Honey Pie (浮気なハニーパイ uwaki na hanii pai?) (23 July 2003) - Asami Kimura, Mai Satoda, Miuna Saito, featuring Miki Fujimoto and Asami Konno
- Senpai - LOVE AGAIN - (先輩 -LOVE AGAIN-?) (12 November 2003) - Asami Kimura, Mai Satoda, Miuna Saito, featuring Miki Fujimoto and Asami Konno
- Shining ~Itoshiki Anata~ (シャイニング~愛しき貴方~ shainingu ~itoshiki anata~?) (4 August 2004) - Asami Kimura, Mai Satoda, Miuna Saito, featuring Miki Fujimoto and Asami Konno
- Album
[edit] Member Profiles
[edit] Current Members
Asami (あさみ)
Real Name: Asami Kimura (木村麻美 Kimura Asami?)
Birthdate: 02/22/84
Homeland: Hokkaido
Nickname: Asamichan
In H!P Groups: Country Musume, 7 nin Matsuri, Happy 7, 11 Water
Mai Satoda (里田まい Satoda Mai?)
Birthdate: 10/31/84
Homeland: Hokkaido
Nickname: Hitomichan
In H!P Groups: Country Musume, Sexy 8, 7 Air, ROMANS
Miuna (みうな)
Real Name: Miuna Saito (斉藤美海 Saitō Miuna?)
Birthdate: 02/12/87
Homeland: Shizuoka
In H!P Group: Country Musume
Miki Fujimoto (藤本美貴 Fujimoto Miki?) - featured singer from Morning Musume
Birthdate: 02/26/85
Homeland: Hokkaido
Nickname: Mikitty
In H!P Groups: Country Musume, Morning Musume, Morning Musume Otomegumi, soloist, Gomattou, Odoru 11, 11 Water
[edit] Former members
Hiromi (ひろみ)
Real Name: Hiromi Yanagihara (柳原尋美 Yanagihara Hiromi?)
Birthdate: 09/19/81
Homeland: Hokkaido
Notes: Died in a car accident shortly after release of 1st single in July 1999
Azusa (あずさ)
Real Name: Azusa Kobayashi (小林梓 Kobayashi Azusa?)
Birthdate: 01/30/77
Homeland: Hokkaido
Notes: Was forced to leave the group shortly after Hiromi's death due to some risque pictures of her, although the story at the time was that she was upset about Hiromi's death
Rinne (りんね)
Real name: Rinne Toda (戸田鈴音 Toda Rinne?)
Birthdate: 02/06/81
Homeland: Hokkaido
In H!P Groups: Country Musume, 10 nin Matsuri, Odoru 11
Rika Ishikawa (石川梨華 Ishikawa Rika?) - former featured member from Morning Musume
Birthdate: 01/19/85
Nickname: Charmy
Homeland: Kanagawa
In H!P Groups: Country Musume, Morning Musume, Morning Musume Otomegumi, Tanpopo, ROMANS, 3 Nin Matsuri, Sexy 8, 7 Air, Biyuuden
Notes: Graduated from Morning Musume in May 2005 to concentrate her work with Biyuuden.
Asami Konno (紺野あさ美 Konno Asami?) - former featured singer from Morning Musume
Birthdate: 05/07/87
Homeland: Hokkaido
Nickname: Konkon
In H!P Groups: Country Musume, Morning Musume, Morning Musume Sakuragumi, Tanpopo, Odoru 11, 11 Water
