Ai Takahashi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ai Takahashi 高橋愛 |
||
|---|---|---|
 Ai Takahashi (2006)
|
||
| Background information | ||
| Also known as | Ai-chan | |
| Born | September 14, 1986 (age 20) | |
| Origin |  Fukui, Japan |
|
| Genre(s) | Japanese Pop | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer | |
| Years active | 2001-present | |
| Label(s) | zetima | |
| Associated acts |
Morning Musume, Mini Moni, Sakura Gumi, Happy 7, 7AIR, H.P. All Stars, Elegies | |
| Website | Hello! Project.com | |
Ai Takahashi (高橋愛 Takahashi Ai?, born September 14, 1986) is a Japanese pop singer associated with Hello! Project, best known as a member of Morning Musume and its most popular subgroup, Mini Moni. She is considered to have one of the most distinct and recognizable voices in the group.
Contents |
[edit] Profile
- Name: Ai Takahashi (高橋愛 Takahashi Ai?)
- Nickname: Ai-chan (愛ちゃん?), Lovely (ラブリー?), Tettekete (テッテケテー?) (on Utaban)
- Birth Date: September 14, 1986
- Birth Place: Harue, Sakai District (Present: Sakai City), Fukui Prefecture, Japan
- Bloodtype: A
- Height: 153 cm / 5′
- Hobby: classical ballet
[edit] Biography
Ai Takahashi joined Morning Musume in 2001 as part of the group's fifth generation, along with Makoto Ogawa, Asami Konno, and Risa Niigaki. Her debut appearance with the group was on their single "Mr.Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~", and her first appearance on a Morning Musume full-length release was their fourth studio album, the appropriately named 4th Ikimasshoi!. Her first appearance on a Hello! Project shuffle unit release was on the 2002 single "Shiawase Beam! Suki Suki Beam!" under the group name Happy 7.
In 2003, she was tapped to replace Mari Yaguchi in the Morning Musume spinoff group Mini Moni, first appearing in the group's movie Mini Moni Ja Movie: Okashina Daibouken and its accompanying soundtrack. Her best-known nickname amongst non-Japanese fans, "Takitty", derived from the cat suit (complete with tail) that she wears in the movie.
That same year, she was part of the Morning Musume splinter group Morning Musume Sakuragumi, which performed mainly slower numbers on the group's two EPs, "Hare Ame Nochi Suki" and "Sakura Mankai", and the shuffle group 7AIR, an R&B-inspired septet.
Takahashi's vocals became more prominent on the second and final Mini Moni album, Minimoni Songs 2 (2004), as well as on Morning Musume's singles from their Spring 2004 release "Roman ~MY DEAR BOY~" onward. She also had a duet with Tsunku on the cover version of Tsunku and Ayumi Hamasaki's duet "Love ~since 1999~" on his solo album TAKE1.
In 2005, Morning Musume's first single release of the year, "THE Manpower!!!", featured Takahashi in a prominent co-lead-vocal role, a role she has retained on subsequent singles since. In the summer of that year, she became part of the 2005 shuffle Group Elegies.
Takahashi is also captain of the Hello! Project kickball team, Metro Rabbits H.P..
In 2006, Takahashi played the lead role, Sapphire, in the musical "Ribbon no Kishi The Musical" which was a collaboration work of Takarazuka Revue (a famous Japanese all-female musical group) and Hello! Project. The musical is based on Tezuka Osamu's manga and also stars v-u-den, Nozomi Tsuji, Aya Matsuura, Natsumi Abe, and Marcia and Kaoru Ebira of the Takarazuka Revue.
On January 2, 2007 at Hello! Project's winter concert, it was announced that Hitomi Yoshizawa, the leader of Morning Musume would graduate on May 6. After her graduation, Takahashi will become the new sub-leader of Morning Musume.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
| # | Title | Release Date | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yume Kara Samete (夢から醒めて?) | 2006 | Only released for digital purchase and download; later released as part of the Pucchi Best 7 compilation CD |
[edit] Hello! Project Groups
- Morning Musume (2001 — )
- Minimoni (2003 — )
- Subgroups
- Morning Musume Sakuragumi (2003 — )
- Shuffle Groups
- Happy 7 (2002)
- 7AIR (2003)
- H!P All Stars (2004)
- Elegies (2005)
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Photobooks
- 5 - Morning Musume 5th Generation Member Photobook (5 モーニング娘。5期メンバー写真集?), photobook starring all of the 5th generation (August 13, 2002) ISBN 4-8470-2721-3
- Morning Musume - Takahashi Ai (モーニング娘。― 高橋愛?), first solo photobook (December 9, 2002) ISBN 4-8470-2741-8
- Alo Hello! Takahashi Ai (アロハロ!高橋愛?), second solo photobook (December 17, 2003) ISBN 4-04-894253-0
- Wataame (わたあめ?), third solo photobook (May 27, 2004) ISBN 4-8470-2806-6
- Ai Gokoro (愛ごころ?), fourth solo photobook (June 25, 2005) ISBN 4-8470-2870-8
- 19, fifth solo photobook (January 27, 2006) ISBN 4-8470-2913-5
- Takahashi Ai Shashinshu Zenshu ai (高橋愛 写真集全集『ai』?), Photobook (the complete works) (October 27, 2006) ISBN 4-8470-2961-5
- Love Hello! Ai Takahashi photobook in Phuket (ラブハロ！高橋愛写真集inプーケット?) (March 14, 2007) ISBN 4-0489-4485-1
[edit] Dramas
- Angel Hearts (2002)
- Minimoni's Brementown's Musicians (ミニモニ。でブレーメンの音楽隊?) (January 10 — January 31, 2005)
[edit] TV Shows
- Hello! Morning (ハロー！モーニング。?) (2001 — Present)
- Tin Tin TOWN! (ティンティンTOWN!?) (July 5, 2002 — March 26, 2004)
- Sore Yuke! Gorokkies (それゆけ!ゴロッキーズ?) (September 29 — December 26, 2003)
- Futarigoto (二人ゴト?) (April 21 — April 23, 2004 | July 23 — July 29, 2004)
- Majokko Rika-chan no Magical Biyuuden (魔女っ娘。梨華ちゃんのマジカル美勇伝?) (December 1 — December 6, 2004 | December 16 — December 17, 2004)
- Musume DOKYU! (娘DOKYU!?) (April 4, 2005 — Present)
[edit] Radio
- MBS Young Town Douyoubi (MBSヤングタウン土曜日?) (April 12, 2003 — Present)
- Ishikawa Rika no Chanchaka Charmy (☆石川梨華のちゃんちゃか☆チャーミー!?) (March 3, 2005)
- TBC FUN FIIRUDO MOORETSU MOODASSHU (TBC FUNふぃーるど・モーレツモーダッシュ?) (May 16 — May 27, 2005)
[edit] DVDs
- Alo Hello! Takahashi Ai DVD (アロハロ!高橋愛DVD?) (December 17, 2003)
