When it was announced that Buono! was going to hold a concert titled “Buono! Festa 2016” at Nippon Budokan, fans held their breath and hoped that this would lead to an active Buono! again. Composed of Miyabi Natsuyaki (formerly of Berryz Kobo), Airi Suzuki (of ℃-ute) and Momoko Tsugunaga (also formerly of Berryz Kobo, currently Playing Manager of Country Girls), Buono!'s future looked unsure following Berryz Kobo's hiatus and besides small one-off performances at joint Hello! Project concerts, Buono! had not been active in several years. As the concert drew nearer fans learned more about this event. Miyabi Natsuyaki's new group would be revealed at this concert and in the weeks leading up to the concert itself, we learned that Buono! had recorded a new single and that it would be made available before its actual release date at this concert! Besides this the Buono! Festa 2016 line-up would be filled by the individual member’s other groups. This meant that Country Girls, ℃-ute, as well as Miyabi’s unnamed group would all perform in their own guest corner segments. August 25th, 2016, the time had come for the world to see Buono! again! The crowd shuffled into the sold-out Nippon Budokan and got ready for what was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Besides the crowd at the venue, the concert was also being broadcast live in several theaters in not only Japan, but also in Taiwan and Hong Kong as well. A huge Buono! banner covered the stage and everyone at Nippon Budokan eagerly waited to see the banner finally be removed. The excitement of the crowd could be felt as a countdown signaled the group's arrival. A silhouette gave way to the trio we had all been waiting for and Buono! took the stage along with their backing band Dolce. They immediately jumped into their first song, their come-back single "Rockno Seichi", a song that is a spiritual successor and answer song to their earlier favorite, “Rockno Kamisama”. The crowd went wild and following an MC would only get more crazy when Buono! followed this with "We are Buono! ~Buono no Theme~". The crowd's cheers of "B-U-O-N-O!" rocked Nippon Budokan and not a bit of energy was lost when the band finished out their initial set with "Rottara Rottara". Now being that this is Buono! Festa 2016 and not your standard one-man live, we were going to be treated to several other acts before Buono! took back the stage. First up was the introduction of Miyabi Natsuyaki's then-unnamed group. Following the announcement of Berryz Kobo's hiatus, the future of some of the members was unsure. While many of the members stayed within Up-Front or Hello! Project, only a few, like Momoko Tsugunaga, remained in the performing spotlight Therefore, fans were very excited when it was announced that Miyabi would be leading her own group and that excitement was brought to a head at Buono! Festa 2016! The audience was treated to video auditions of the chosen members (Hikaru Kobayashi and Yuka Nihei) and a short documentary of the new group learning the material as well as recording their first release. Following this introduction we were treated to the much-anticipated reveal of the new group's name, "PINK CRES." short for "pink crescendo". The trio took the stage next supported by DJ JURI. Their first song was a medley of "Warning ~Mirai Keihou~" and "Uwa no Sora". These songs were very different, one being a dance song and the next being a slow ballad, but they definitely showed the crowd that this was a group that was worth watching in the future. The crowd was then treated to PINK CRES.' very first MC where Miyabi asked the crowd to change their penlights to pink. Everyone happily obliged and their set closed out with the song "Summer Wonderland" which was complete with not only pink penlights, but also twirling towels. Country Girls were up next. Following the hiatus of Berryz Kobo, Momoko Tsugunaga made a new name for herself as the Playing Manager of Country Girls and took the group on a path straight to the top. They opened their set "Koi Dorobou" and the crowd's cheers and chants were completely on point. Following this introduction we got an MC where it was mentioned that while this was Country Girls' third time at Nippon Budokan it was the first time for with the new line-up that sadly featured the absence of Manaka Inaba who had left the group just weeks before. Their next song was their latest single, "Doodatte Iino". They closed out their guest corner with the fan favorite "Itooshikutte Gomenne" a song that is both very catchy and cute, but still able to whip the crowd into a frenzy. Now up to this point all the previous groups had proper introductions and stage exits, all that ended when it was time for ℃-ute to take the stage. ℃-ute came on stage immediately following the end of Country Girls' set and the "Are you ready?!" shouts that accompanied the intro of "Tokkaiko Junjou" were nearly enough to tear the roof off the venue. This was a particularly hard set to watch as it was announced just days before that ℃-ute would be graduated from Hello! Project the following June. Following their MC they went into "Jinseiwa STEP!" and followed that up with the ever-popular "Kiss me Aishiteru". Their set was pure energy and both ℃-ute and the fans gave every bit of themselves to each other. Also following immediately, "Dance de Bakoon!" wrapped up their guest corner. Before we were treated to the return of Buono! we were given one last performance. ℃-ute (minus Airi Suzuki) along with a Momoko-less Country Girls performed the Buono! hit "Hontono Jibun". While I personally would have loved to have seen this song performed by Buono!, this was an interesting take on it nonetheless. Buono! took back the stage with “Independent Girl ~ Dokuritsu Joshide Arutameni” a song that brought every fan in the venue to their feet and into the air. To go along with this powerful return we were also given flames which heated up Budokan even more so than the fan’s cheers did. The group was in rare form here and continued to several other hard-rocking numbers “Zassou no Uta” and “JUICY HE@RT”. While the physical fire on stage had died down by this point, the fire within their performance was not showing any signs of giving way. Buono!’s interaction with backing band Dolce is worth noting here too. With the addition of a second guitarist (bringing the total of musicians who could traverse to stage to three) the group was able to more properly pair off for fun on stage antics. Together, Buono! and Dolce owned the stage and took the show directly to everyone be they down the middle along the ramp, or along both wings of the stage. Following this powerful opening, we got the second MC from Buono!. This one was special though as following some remarks about how it had been a long time since they shared the same stage, Miyabi was presented with a birthday cake and everyone from those in the crowd to those on the stage took part in wishing her a happy birthday! What a birthday it was too! A birthday that saw the reformation of the beloved Buono! and the debut of her own group PINK CRES. Surely this birthday can be seen as a new beginning bright with opportunity! Following the MC, they continued with their new single, “Sorashido~Neenee~”. This was followed by “Gachinkode Ikou!”, “My Love”, and “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” which saw this segment wrapped up with the girls on a centrally placed bed where they eventually finished the song following a pesky alarm. This was a fitting place to end this segment as the songs up to this point were all high energy and the power of the concert would be enough to tire out even the most seasoned of performers! The MC that followed saw Buono! changed into elegant white dresses as they introduced the band to the crowd. This introduction also featured a special guest violinist who would play an important part in the next segment. Following a request for the fans to sit for the next part, the band took us into a nice acoustic set that was as beautifully powerful as the first half of the show though in a more subtle way. With the girls seated far to the front in the middle ramp, they began with “Urahara”, by the time they moved into “Kimiga Ireba”, the sole violinist was now joined by a full string quartet. This part closed with “You’re My Friend” which saw the full band accompanying the strings bringing a sound one rarely hears at Hello! Project concerts. Before we moved onto the next set of songs we were treated to some very funny special videos that are best seen rather than explained. Suffice to say that they were quite amusing and played up to the comedic strengths of the members very well! The next set of songs was kicked off by “Nakamushi Shonen” which was followed by “Kataomoi。”. “Hatsukoi Cider”, with a slightly slower opening finished this set. We had been taken on a musical journey that had taken us to many different stops, but things were clearly getting ready to ramp up again following the earlier acoustic parts. The shouts of “P. A. T. I!” signaled the start of “Bravo☆Bravo” a song whose iconic chants were something that must be witnessed to believe how powerful they could be. Other powerful rocking songs “Janakya Mottainai!” and a “Lady Panther” complete with dueling guitar solos. Fire, along with smoke this time around, once again filled the stage for “MY BOY” which was every bit the hard-rocking metal crossover song it was. “Renai♥Rider” was officially the last song of the night and a fitting way to wrap up the main part of Buono! Festa 2016 as it was their second single (Their first single being performed earlier by the non-Buono! members). Streamers fell from the ceiling and filled Nippon Budokan with a colorful rain during this song and fans grabbed at them all the while continuing to cheer with them held high. Following this song Buono! exited the stage, but it thankfully would not be for long. Seeing Nippon Budokan lit by thousands of colorful penlights is something that can never be properly described unless one has directly witnessed it themselves. It is as beautiful as it is powerful and it can be nearly breathtaking. Added to this sea of light were the constant and rhythmic calls for Buono’s return. After several minutes of this, return they did and their first encore song was none other than “Rockno Kamisama”. Following this amazing towel-swinging performance and another MC, the band entered into the true final songs of the night, “Warp!” and “Tabitachino Uta”. The former of which saw hearts fall from the sky in the colors of the group which featured a message. These were quickly scooped up by the lucky fans while on stage the string quartet had grown yet again into a full ensemble that added a new layer to what was already a wonderful show. Following some call and responses with “Tabitachino Uta” the concert came to a reluctant end. All said, Buono! Festa 2016 was made up of three hours of music and performance, but everyone within Budokan probably wished the night didn’t have to end.
It had been over four years since Buono! had properly active, but if one didn’t know any better they would have assumed that no time had passed at all. They were in as perfect a form as they ever were and performed with as much power and drive as they did on their first ever solo concert. While the night had more than its share of bittersweet moments especially when one recalled the recent announcement regarding the future of ℃-ute, these were counteracted by the fact that the thousands of fans assembled, as well as those watching from afar, had witnessed something special. Something that could never happen again. A legend had reformed and hopefully would begin a new chapter. A chapter that would be long and bright and hopefully one that would never again see such a prolonged absence of such great a group. -Manuel (alavic_222) Setlist: M01.Rockno Seichi MC1 M02. We are Buono! ~Buono! no Theme M03. Rottara Rottara Guest Corner: PINK CRES. Warning ~Mirai Keihou~ / Uwanosora (Medley) MC Summer Wonderland Guest Corner: Country Girls Koi Dorobou MC Dou Datte Ii no Itooshikutte Gomenne Guest Corner: ℃-ute Tokaikko Junjou MC Jinsei wa STEP! Kiss me Aishiteru Dance de Bakoon! Hontono Jibun (Maimi Yajima, Saki Nakajima, Chisato Okai, Mai Hagiwara, Risa Yamaki, Chisaki Morito, Mai Ozeki, Nanami Yanagawa, Musubu Funaki) SE M04. Independent Girl~Dokuritsu Joshi de Arutameni ~ M05. Zassou no Uta M06. JUICY HE@RT MC2 M07. Sorashido~Neenee~ M08. Gachinkode Ikou! M09. My Love M10. Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! MC3 M11. Urahara M12. Kimiga Ireba M13. You're My Friend Video Corner M14. Nakimushi Shounen M15. Kataomoi。 M16. Hatsukoi Cider MC4 M17. Bravo☆Bravo M18. Janakya Mottainai! M19. Lady Panther M20. MY BOY M21. Renai♥Rider ENCORE EN1. Rockno Kamisama MC5 EN2. Warp! EN3. Tabitachino Uta Buono! Is: Tsugunaga Momoko (嗣永桃子) (Leader) Natsuyaki Miyabi (夏焼雅) Suzuki Airi (鈴木愛理) PINK CRES. Is: Natsuyaki Miyabi (夏焼雅) (Leader) Kobayashi Hikaru (小林ひかる) Nihei Yuuka (二瓶有加) Country Girls Is: Tsugunaga Momoko (嗣永桃子) (Playing Manager) Yamaki Risa (山木梨沙) Morito Chisaki (森戸知沙希) Ozeki Mai (小関舞) Yanagawa Nanami (梁川奈々美) Funaki Musubu (船木結) ℃-ute Is: Yajima Maimi (矢島舞美) (Leader) Nakajima Saki (中島早貴) Suzuki Airi (鈴木愛理) Okai Chisato (岡井千聖) Hagiwara Mai (萩原舞) Official Links Buono! Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/buonochannel PINK CRES. Official Site: http://www.pinkcres.com/ PINK CRES. Official Blog: http://ameblo.jp/pinkcres UP-FRONT LINK Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upfrontlink/ UP-FRONT LINK Twitter: https://twitter.com/UpFrontLink All pictures ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. Used with permission. El 19 de Septiembre, °C-ute, grupo de Hello!Project se presentó por primera vez en América del Norte, para tener un concierto en la Ciudad de México. Un reporte completo de esta experiencia única en la vida, puede ser encontrado aquí. A-To-J Connections, no solamente tuvo la oportunidad de asistir a este evento, si no, el conseguir una entrevista a pesar de su ya ocupada agenda.
A-To-J: ¡Muchas gracias por brindarnos un poco de tu tiempo en su ya ocupada agenda! Comenzaremos ahora. ¿Qué les ha parecido México? °C-ute: ¡Nos gusta mucho aquí! Maimi: Como nunca antes habíamos venido a México y está muy lejos de Japón, estuvimos preguntándonos qué tipo de país sería, pero cuando llegamos, nos dimos cuenta que tiene similitudes con Japón, por ejemplo la puesta del sol. Esto es una similitud pequeña, pero los enchufes son guales. Este tipo de cosas me hizo pensar que es un lugar agradable para vivir. A-To-J: ¿Nos pueden contar sobre su experiencia con los fans Mexicanos? ¿Son diferentes a sus fans de Japón? Saki: Gracias a que su respuesta es muy buena, ¡Es muy divertido el tener una presentación! Cuando decimos: ¡Viva México! Todos gritan. Cuando la música comienza, ellos también gritan, pero cuando todos tratan de concentrarse, ellos comprenden y guardan silencio. También fue muy sencillo el tener contacto visual con ellos. A-To-J: ¿Qué prepararon para su concierto en México? Airi: Nosotras aprendimos un poco de Español antes de venir gracias a una persona de nuestra compañía que es de Perú, así podríamos hablar el idioma durante el concierto. Utilizamos algunas de esas frases en el evento. A-To-J: Ahora, hablemos un poco del concierto. ¿Hay alguna canción en especial que hayan disfrutado cantar en el concierto de ayer? Chisato: Todas las canciones fueron divertidas porque todo el público reaccionaba muy bien. Yo pensé: “Wow. ¡A ellos realmente se sienten identificados nuestras canciones!“ En particular, hay una canción llamada “Gamusha LIFE” la cual tiene letras que reflejan a °C-ute hasta el día de hoy. Cuando pienso en todos los fans de la audiencia que no habíamos podido conocer hasta ahora, me sentí un poco culpable, pero feliz, fue por eso que fui capaz de mostrar diferentes sensacioens mientras cantábamos esta canción. A-To-J: Hablando de sus canciones. ¿Cómo eligieron el set list? Chisato: Hay un album que fue vendido en el concierto y esas canciones fueron elegidas por votos de popularidad, entonces esas fueron las que elegimos para presenter en el concierto. A-To-J: Volviendo al tema de su tiempo libre en México. ¿Tuvieron oportunidad para turistear aquí? Maimi: Tuvimos la oportunidad de ir a Cancún por un par de días, el mar era muy hermoso. El océano tenía capas con tres colores diferentes, yo me sorprendí mucho. También, la ciudad cobra vida por la noche, era como si fuera Halloween, lo cual también me sorprendió. A-To-J: ¿Qué les pareció la comida de aquí? ¿Probaron platillos ‘exóticos’? Maimi: ¡Estuve muy sorprendida cuando probé los nopales! No creí que fueran algo comestible. °C-ute: ¡Estuvo delicioso! Maimi: Como no sabíamos cuál sería su sabor, necesitamos mucho valor para probarlos. Su sabor era como okra y pimientos… Tenía una textura muy peculiar. ¡Pero me gustaron mucho! A-To-J: ¿Hay algún souvenir que les pareció interesante y que compraron? Chisato: No estamos seguras de qué cosas comprar como souvenirs… En el caso de la comida, no sabemos qué podemos y no podemos llevar a casa, así que investigaremos y trataremos de comprar cosas que sean aptas para el avión. Saki: ¡Algo con el estilo de México! A-To-J: ¿Con qué tipo de retos se topan cuando tienen presentaciones en el extranjero? Saki: Como la audiencia es muy diferente a la usual, sus reacciones también lo son. Ellos cantan junto con nosotras, nos mandan corazones con sus manos y también nos mandan besos. Yo debo concentrarme para seguir cantando sin dejarme llevar por la emoción. A-To-J: Si pudieran tener un concierto en el extranjero nuevamente. ¿A dónde les gustaría ir? Airi: ¡Nos gustaría ir a cualquier lugar al que nos inviten! Pero si México nos invita de nuevo, amaríamos volver. °C-ute: ¡Definitivamente! A-To-J: ¿Por qué creen que la popularidad de Hello!Project ha aumentado recientemente en Japón y en el extranjero? Chisato: Estos días, tenemos la oportunidad de realizar show que la gente que vive fuera de Japón puede ver, como “Hello!Project Sation” y “GREEN ROOM”. Incluso hacemos transmisiones en vivo de nuestras presentaciones de cuando en cuando. Así que los eventos o cosas que antes no podrías ver a menos que estuvieras en Japón, ahora puedes verlas a través del internet. Creo que esto a ayudado a Hello!Project alrededor del mundo. A-To-J: ¿Cuál es su siguiente meta a cumplir en Japón ahora que hace poco tuvieron su concierto en Yokohama Arena? Mai: Saitama Super Arena, Tokyo Dome… Después de ser parte de un grupo por 10 años y finalmente tener la oportunidad de presentarse en el escenario de Yokohama Arena, nos dimos cuenta que queremos seguir haciendo realidad nuestros sueños, por eso nosotras haremos lo posible por presentarnos en escenarios aún más grandes. A-To-J: ¿Hay algún género de música que les gustaría intentar próximamente? Airi: Hm… Un género de música… Maimi: Hemos tenido la oportunidad de cantar varios tipos diferentes de canciones ya que somos el grupo más antiguo en Hello!Project… Como hemos tenido más seguidores extranjeros, me gustaría intentar cantar en inglés. A-To-J: Por último, ¿Algo que quisieras decirle a tus fans extranjeros? Maimi: A través del internet hay muchas personas que conoces a °C-ute o Hello!Project, pero me gustaría que también tuvieran la oportunidad de vernos en vivo, quiero que se den cuenta que hay muchas cosas que sólo puedes conocer en nuestras presentaciones en vivo. Ayer sentí que no importa qué tan lejos estemos, a través de la música, nuestros corazones están más cerca. Espero que los fans puedan venir a visitarnos en Japón y que nosotras tengamos oportunidad de visitar más lugares. Ustedes, los fans internacionales, quizá piensan que no tendrán oportunidad de vernos en persona… ¡Pero si nos siguen apoyando, esperamos visitarlos algún día! A-To-J: Muchas gracias nuevamente por su tiempo. La entrevista fue conducida y traducida por Tiffany Fuji y asistida por Teepu Khan con la fotografía y dirección de Manuel Figueroa y traducción al español por Ruby G. °C-ute es: ◆ Yajima Maimi (矢島舞美, Leader) ◆ Nakajima Saki (中島早貴) ◆ Suzuki Airi (鈴木愛理) ◆ Okai Chisato (岡井千聖) ◆ Hagiwara Mai (萩原舞) Para más información de °C-ute, UP-FRONT y Hello°Project por favor diríjanse a las redes socials de Up-Front: Twitter: @UpFrontLink Facebook: facebook.com/upfrontlink Recently a friend asked me if there were any original Japanese Christmas songs I could recommend since they had never heard of any. I was shocked since I could easily think of several dozen off the top of my head and assumed they could too seeing as they were also a fan of Japanese music. See, Christmas music is something I really enjoy and Japanese Christmas music holds a special place too. So with that in mind I set out to make a list of my favorite Japanese Christmas songs both for my friend and for everyone else! Well, when I started that list I realized that it was LONG and that it was all over the place genre-wise. Also, it's worth noting that there are a lot of "winter" songs in Japan that have that Christmas feel, but really aren't Christmas songs in the traditional sense. So compiling a list like this turned out to be harder than I first thought. After some deliberation I decided to narrow the focus to Japanese idol Christmas songs. So here is my list! A few notes though. First, while this list has the "Top 10" feel it isn't so much a ranking as much as just a collection of my ten favorite idol Christmas songs. You can get a slight feel for my favorites depending on where the song is placed in the list, but for the most part I did not try to rank them and as you can see I didn't number them. Also, this list is by no means comprehensive. There are many more songs I didn't include for various reasons; mainly space. Also, I only included original songs so you won't find any covers of English Christmas songs here. (There are a LOT of those by the way) Make sure to check them out and build your own idol Christmas playlist! e-girls - Merry x Merry XMase-girls have a new Christmas song this year! The production values are high, the outfits and sets are beautiful and the girls all look amazing. Why don't I place this higher on the list you ask? Well, I have to admit that it's a great song, but I personally prefer Mr.Snowman to this one. That is a matter of personal preference though and I'm sure many out there will disagree with me on this one. That said, this song isn't a bad one I just feel that the whole package was presented just a little better last year. Don't let my opinion keep this one from your Christmas playlist though! It's already on mine! Shige-pink & Kohappink - Wa~ MERRY Pin X'Mas!Kusumi Koharu was always my Morning Musume oshi so I had to add this one here. I am not a huge fan of the cuteness overload that you hear in this song, but it's cute and catchy so we'll just leave it here nonetheless! Besides Kusumi you also get Sayumi in her earlier years, so there's that as an added bonus though I personally feel that Shige-pink and Kohappink borderlined on cringe-worthiness at times. Once again, personal preference here. Mild criticism aside, this is a standard for every holiday season in my opinion. Whether this is your preferred style or not, it's one that you should check out! Petit Moni - Pittari Shitai X'Mas!More Hello! Project songs! This time it's Petit Moni, which was a group that had my first Hello! Project/Morning Musume oshi, Goto Maki. This was a single for Petit Moni and while I always found it weird when seasonal songs are released as singles (Since they can only be played at one time of the year) I think this one stands out. It has the old-school Tsunku-vibe to it and has been covered countless times by other Hello! Project artists over the years in concert. Seeing as this comes from the height of the Morning Musume boom, the production values are high and this song stands the test of time without sounding too dated. A great addition! SCANDAL - Koibito ga Santa Claus "Koibito ga Santa Claus" is one of the Japanese Christmas songs that you can't get away from. Originally recorded by Yumi Matsutoya it has been covered more times than I can possibly think of. It's a Christmas standard in Japan and the version here is from all-girl rock band Scandal. Not quite an idol cover, but it's the best I could find on short notice! That said, it's a classic for a reason. This is an amazing song that can lend itself to many different musical styles not just its original pop or even the rock you see here. If you're making a Japanese holiday playlist just throw in a half dozen of versions of this and you're halfway there! Vanilla Mood - X'Mas Melody Vanilla Mood is an odd one. They were a four piece band (currently three) that played their own instruments (piano, flute, violin, and cello) but they were marketed as idols circa their debut. We at A-To-J have worked with other artists that are marketed as idols even though we feel they belong in more mature categories so we're no stranger to this, but it was still an odd choice of marketing for the group at the time. That being said this song is an amazingly beautiful song that you should check out! Vanilla Mood was never too popular either so there is a very good chance that this is the first time you're hearing of them. Also it's worth noting that this version of the song is actually a re-recording as vocalist/pianist, Keiko, recorded this song solo prior to this group version. Keiko's solo version was originally released on a Christmas compilation of other original Japanese Christmas songs, but that's for another article. This one is just a little fuller with the other girls performing as well. Buono! - -Winter story- Want an idol Christmas song with just a hint of rock? Then look no further than Buono!'s "Winter Story"! I am a huge fan of all things Buono so this was kind of a given. It was actually this song that really inspired me to track down other idol Christmas songs. Buono might have dissolved with the graduation of Berryz Koubou, but thanks to recent announcements I think it's safe to assume that those watching the Hello! Countdown live this year will most likely have the joy of seeing this song performed live! The English is the chorus just a little off (something that can make or break a song in my opinion) but it never feels too jarring and taken in its entirety it is a very upbeat song that is hard to dislike no matter what your preference is. The rock stylings, complete with the occasional live instruments, help set this one apart from the rest. Definitely one to check out! ZYX - Shiroi Tokyo Okay in case you haven't noticed there is a lot of Hello! Project love on this list. While there is a certain bias towards them there is also the fact that they have put out an amazing number of Christmas songs over the years! Many of them were singles too which is even less common. This was the second (and ultimately last) single for the group ZYX and they went out with a bang! One of the catchiest Christmas songs, this song would become one of the most covered songs in concerts during the holiday season. Also owing to when it was released, it has that fun early 2000s idol vibe that you just don't see in music today. A great addition to your holiday music collection! e-girls - Mr.SnowmanUp now is another one from avex idol supergroup e-girls with "Mr.Snowman"! This song has it all, a catchy melody, uplifting lyrics and beat and an amazingly colorful video to go along with it! If you want a fun song to share with loved ones this year then look no further! Being as e-girls is made up of several smaller idol groups, the video has a refreshing feel as each group/girl take center stage. Being that they're avex they also have some of the greatest songwriters at their disposal to write what is sure to become a Japanese Christmas standard. At the rate e-girls are going they might just overtake Hello! Project in the number of Christmas songs in their catalog. While I love Hello! Project Christmas songs, this is something I'd be really happy to see! C-ute - Aitai Lonely Christmas Most of the other songs on this list are upbeat ones, well now we have C-ute's "Aitai Lonely Christmas". Other songs on this list actually have lyrics that lean more towards sad, but this song is different in that you can actually feel it in the music and video whether or not you know the lyrics themselves. This has to be my favorite idol Christmas song period. The song is well-written and arranged, the track is powerful and different than your typical Christmas song and the girls look great in a video that had decent production values for contemporary Hello! Project. It is also worth noting that we at A-To-J have a certain bias to C-ute these days and love to mention them whenever we can! That said, you should really check this song out. Great vocal performances and the song's message of longing can add a different feel to any holiday playlist. SOLIDEMO - Christmas Eve Okay, this is the other song-every-Japanese-artist-covers-on-Christmas song! There are countless covers of this song, both official and unofficial. Why is this you ask? Well, this song is just so perfect! Tatsuro Yamashita recorded this song in the early 90s in both Japanese and English. The Japanese version has been featured in countless movies and dramas and was recently re-recorded last year. There have been all sorts of covers too over the years. Instrumental, jazz, rock, versions in other languages, it is safe to say that this is Japan's most popular Christmas song. The version here is one by avex group, SOLIDEMO. This video was literally just uploaded Christmas Eve 2015 (yesterday at the time of writing) and is one of the best performances of this song I've ever heard. We at A-To-J were lucky enough to interview SOLIDEMO earlier this year too and they are the friendliest group you could ever hope to meet! Also, since this is an idol Christmas music playlist, I figured it'd be best to find one of the many idol covers of this song. So, if you're putting together that holiday playlist, be sure to throw in a few versions of Christmas Eve! Also....just for fun and because we at A-To-J also cover visual kei, here is my favorite visual kei Christmas song! Yes those exist! Mix Speaker's Inc. - My wish [Horror] X'MasWant some visual kei on Christmas? Well, there are actually lots of Christmas songs by visual kei artists, both original and otherwise. Perhaps this is a list I will compile for next year, we shall see. In the meantime here is my personal favorite, Mix Speaker's Inc.'s "My wish [Horror] X'Mas". While Mix Speaker's Inc. have recently gone through a significant change in vocalists after the departure of Yuki, I think they were a special band in the early days and had a chemistry you don't see too often in visual kei. While this song is something of a departure for the group at the time (also worth noting that this was a single release) it has all the hallmarks of a Christmas classic. It rocks at just the right levels without being too heavy and has the timeless feel that ensure that this is a future classic in the making. If you haven't heard it yet then check it out! There you have it, my picks for an idol Christmas playlist. I repeat that this list is in no way comprehensive. There are countless other idol Christmas songs out there that I know of and there are probably far more that I am unaware of, but this should be enough to get you into the holiday feeling! 'Til next year! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
-Manuel (alavic_222) On September 19th Hello! Project group, °C-ute, performed for the first time in North America to packed house in Mexico City, Mexico. A full report on this once-in-a-lifetime experience can be found here. A-To-J Connections was lucky enough to not only attend this concert, but also to be granted an interview during their already busy schedule.
Thank you for giving us some time in your busy schedule. We’ll start this right off. How do you like Mexico? °C-ute: We like it here! Maimi: Since we’ve never come to Mexico before and it’s so far, we were wondering what kind of country it is, but when we arrived we realized there are some similarities to Japan; such as the sunset or, this is something minor but, the power outlets are the same. These things made me think that this is a comfortable place to live. Can you tell us something about your experience with the Mexican fans? Are they different than the ones back home? Saki: Since the reaction is big, it’s fun to perform! When we said “Viva Mexico!” everyone would scream. When the music started, they would also scream, but when everyone was trying to concentrate they would understand and become quiet. It was also easy to have eye contact with them. What did you do to prepare for this live in Mexico? Airi: We learned a bit of Spanish before coming here, such as Spanish we could use during the live, from a person from our company who is actually from Peru. We used some of those phrases during this live. Let’s talk about that live a little bit. Is there any specific song you enjoyed performing the most at yesterday's concert? Chisato: All the songs were fun because everyone reacted to them. I thought, “Wow, they get touched by each song!” But in particular, there is a song called “Gamusha LIFE” which has lyrics that portray °C-ute up until now. When I thought of all the fans in the audience we haven’t been able to meet before, my apologetic yet happy feelings flowed out and I was able to put in a lot of different feelings while performing this song. Speaking of the songs, did you come up with the set list? Chisato: There is an album that we sold here in Mexico and those songs were actually chosen by popularity votes, so we mostly put those into the live. Moving back to your time in Mexico, did you get any time to go sightseeing here in Mexico? Mai: We got to go to Cancun for a couple of days and the ocean was really beautiful. The ocean was layered with three different colors and I was surprised. Also, the city became lively at night and it was like Halloween, which also surprised me. What about food here? What exotic foods have you tried? Maimi: I was very surprised by the cactus! I didn’t think it was something that was edible. °C-ute: It was delicious! Maimi: Since we didn’t know how it would taste it required courage. It tasted sort of like okra, sort of like bell peppers…it had a slimy but interesting texture and I actually liked it! Are there any interesting souvenirs you're taking home? Chisato: We’re not even sure what we should buy for souvenirs. For food, we don’t know what we can and can’t bring home so we’re going to research and try to properly bring home something. Saki: Something Mexico-ish! What kinds of challenges do you run into when performing overseas? Saki: Because the audience is very different from usual, their reactions are very different. Such as singing with us or giving us hearts and blowing us kisses. I had to keep a cool head and perform without getting too carried away. If you can go overseas again, where would you like to go next? Airi: We would like to go wherever we get invited! If Mexico invites us again, we would love to come again. °C-ute: Definitely! Why do you think there has been a recent increase in popularity of Hello! Project both in Japan and abroad? Chisato: Nowadays, we’re able to do shows that people overseas can watch such as “Hello! Project Station” and “GREEN ROOM”. We even do live broadcasts of our lives occasionally. So the things that you weren’t able to see unless you came to Japan, you can now see through the internet. I think that it helps Hello! Project throughout the world. What is your next goal in Japan since you've had your Yokohama Arena concert recently? Mai: Saitama Super Arena, Tokyo Dome…. After 10 years of being a group and finally standing on the stage of Yokohama Arena, we realized that we want to keep on making our dreams come true, so we want to try our absolute best to be able to stand on more big stages. Is there any genre of music you would like to tackle next? Airi: Hmm…a genre of music…. Maimi: We’ve had the chance to sing many types of songs and now that we’re the oldest in Hello! Project…. Since we’ve been getting more following from overseas fans, I want to challenge singing in English as well. Lastly, do you have anything you'd like to say to all your foreign fans? Maimi: Through the internet, I think there are a lot of people that know °C-ute or Hello! Project, but I want them to see us live in person and I want them to realize there are a lot of things you can only feel when you see us live. I felt yesterday that no matter how far we are, through singing, our hearts can get closer. I hope that fans will come visit us in Japan and we will get more chances to go visit more places. You, the overseas fans, might think you won’t have a chance to see us in person, but if you keep on cheering for us, we hope to go visit as well someday! Thank you again for your time. The above interview was conducted and translated by Tiffany Fujii and assisted by Teepu Khan with photography and direction by Manuel Figueroa. °C-ute Are: ◆ Yajima Maimi (矢島舞美, Leader) ◆ Nakajima Saki (中島早貴) ◆ Suzuki Airi (鈴木愛理) ◆ Okai Chisato (岡井千聖) ◆ Hagiwara Mai (萩原舞) For more information on °C-ute, UP-FRONT and Hello! Project please follow Up-Front Link At: Twitter: @UpFrontLink Facebook: facebook.com/upfrontlink With the impending release of °C-ute’s new single, ‘Arigatou ~Mugen no Yell~ / Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight!’, came some really exciting news. On the 7th of this month, it was announced via the official Hello! Project site that there would be a special limited release of a 12-inch record for the new single. Arigatou ~Mugen no Yell~ is designed to be the squad hymn, and “Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight~ is meant to be a cheer song for the Japan Wrestling Federation. The normal single releases on the 28th of October (coming in 2 Regular Editions and 4 Limited Editions) while the vinyl is set to release near the end of November. If you want to snag one, they will be up for pre-order until October 26th (Japan Time) on e-LineUP! It requires a Japanese address, so you would need a secondary party to acquire the vinyl for you. You can work through private parties or various companies, or use the provided walkthrough to use tenso (the sponsored service for e-LineUP!). However you decide to get it, don’t miss your chance! ~ Teepu (Bowser05) °C-ute Are: ◆ Yajima Maimi (矢島舞美, Leader) ◆ Nakajima Saki (中島早貴) ◆ Suzuki Airi (鈴木愛理) ◆ Okai Chisato (岡井千聖) ◆ Hagiwara Mai (萩原舞) e-LineUP! Listing for the Vinyl: http://www.e-lineup.com/shopdetail/000000007226/ Walkthrough on Using tenso: Hello! Project Official Announcement: http://www.helloproject.com/news/3600/
Maimi’s Blog Post Announcing the Songs’ Purposes: http://ameblo.jp/c-ute-official/entry-12071743646.html We walk around Mexico City together, with our phones out, trying to use GPS to locate the venue where Japanese idol group °C-ute will be performing. We are lost and confused. It is then that a Mexican fan with whom we had communicated with online happened to find us and helped guide us to the venue. That scenario is indicative of the concert experience as a whole: camaraderie, love and excitement. With some familiarity with the location, the next day we arrived at the venue at about 1000 and saw fans already lining up and getting excited. It wasn’t just enthusiastic Mexican fans, though; there were people from many places, including Canada, USA, Colombia and even Japan. As we heard the excited chatter within the line, we could see various vendors setting up a sort of market on the street. As we walked through the line, speaking to the fans, there was nothing but excitement. This was not only the first time °C-ute was performing in Mexico, and not only the first time any Hello! Project group was performing in Mexico, but it was the first time any idol group was performing there. Overseas performances are already a rarity, due to the tight Japanese tour schedules, so this was a pleasant honor for all the °C-ute fans in Mexico and North America as a whole. Amongst those gathered outside the venue, there were some fans who dressed up in outfits from °C-ute’s singles. While there were several, the one that stood out the most was a group who were sporting the cute dresses from ‘Sekai ichi Happy na Onna no Ko’. They had taken a level of care and dedication in order to make sure that they reproduced the outfits almost perfectly. Meanwhile, across the street, there were fans performing dances from various Hello! Project songs in order to pass the time and get the energy flowing. They had a great time, and other fans would occasionally jump in to join them. As time went on, the excitement only kept building until about 1615, when the doors finally opened for VIP and we began shuffling through the doors and upstairs to where the goods table was located. There was an exclusive photo set, an exclusive T-shirt, a towel and wristband combo from their current tour and an exclusive CD which contained a special selection of songs selected by popularity as well as a handshake ticket. As the tension and excitement grew, °C-ute finally came out and the crowd exploded with excitement. Nothing could prepare us for the energy and spirit that the Mexican fans were able to exude. The cheering was deafening. The energy was invigorating. They were completely and totally contagious. It was at that moment that we truly understood why °C-ute had gone to Mexico for their first North American concert. From the giant grins on °C-ute’s faces, I think they felt the same way. Without further ado, °C-ute jumped right into the concert. They stepped out onto stage with black outfits with sparkling silver tones and a red undertone complete with red shoes. They started off strong with ‘Kanashiki Heaven’, which was a smart choice due to the heavy use of vocal skills for it. After finishing that song, and ‘Adam to Eve no Dilemma’, they jumped into their introductions. They did it all in Spanish, which was really impressive. For example, Maimi said she was looking forward to the day and Saki said “let’s have a blast.” Following that they jumped right back into performing with ‘Soku Dakishimete’. They then lead into ‘I miss you’. Of particular note was how effectively they were able to sing that song, which is a bit complex on the way the vocals are timed. As is to be expected with °C-ute, they did a fantastic job making sure they interacted with the crowd as much as possible. This included the side VIP area which wasn’t in direct line of sight. From little waves, to winks and to hearts, every member made sure that the crowd was given attention (much to the delight of the excited fans). The second section contained a total of 9 songs, all of which were high energy and covered a good time period of their musical library. Of particular note was ‘Ookina Ai de Motenashite’, which is a particular favorite of mine and doesn’t get performed much anymore (this also happened to be my introduction to °C-ute). About halfway through the performance of the second section, they did a quick wardrobe change on stage into a cute red outfit (ripping off the higher layers and setting them on the rear of the stage for the crew to quickly pick up) to continue straight on with little delay. With the close of the second section, Maimi and Saki were on stage while the others went to the back to rest and change. At this point, they had a lottery corner, which involved raffle numbers that were handed to us when we had entered the concert hall. As they called out the numbers to the glee of the lucky fans who won the merchandise, the appropriate member to whom the item was related signed the item on the spot. Maimi and Saki then went off-stage to rest and change while Airi and Mai came out to continue the lottery with their own items. It was shortly into this that Chisato came out wearing a gold luchador mask, claiming to be Mil Mascaras. It was one of the silliest and cutest highlights of the concert. Everybody chanted her name really loud. After flexing a little, she jokingly charged at Airi and Mai who reacted in appropriate fashion: by cutely acting scared. Chisato pulled off her mask to reveal that she was wearing a silver luchador mask underneath which matched their third outfits: a beautiful shiny silver with white lining. She eventually removed that mask too, which was undoubtedly hot to wear, and announced herself as Okai Chisato. After quickly fixing her hair, they continued to give out signed merchandise. Chisato signed the gold mask to raffle out. The merchandise included T-shirts, towels, a set of earrings from one of their outfits, the luchador mask, some clear files and even a plush of the Suu-san character created by Airi. These items were distributed to the lucky fans after the concert. Upon conclusion of the lottery corner, they quickly prepared for the opening of the third section with ‘Tokaikko Junjou’. The crowd went wild and were so loud that it caused °C-ute to initially miss their cue. With exceptional skill, they jumped straight into ‘Tokaikko Junjou’ with amazing energy that radiated throughout the whole concert hall. Much to our pleasure, they also performed ‘The Middle Management ~Josei Chuukan Kanrishoku~’, which was one of their strongest performances at the concert. They closed out the third section with ‘Dance de Bakoon!’ which arguably elicited the loudest response from the crowd. ‘Dance de Bakoon!’ has very energetic and positive themes, so performing that was a beautiful way to close out with a bang. After leaving the stage, the crowd went wild. They chanting various things hoping for them to come back for an encore, including a very unique chant that was entirely Mexican. They chanted ‘Olé Olé Olé! Kyuuto! Kyuuto!’ We were unaware of how long this went, since it was easy to get lost in the moment while cheering and chanting, though it was likely 10-15 minutes. They came out to thunderous cheers. They were sporting the concert’s T-shirts along with cute skirts with vehicles on it and frills matching their member colors. The encore kicked off with the cute classic ‘Sakura Chirari’. Messages from each individual member were then read to the crowd. Maimi thanked everybody for coming; Saki said that they had looked forward to meeting the fans; Airi expressed her happiness for being able to sing in Mexico finally; Chisato asked everybody to keep cheering for them so they could come back; Mai expressed her happiness with being able to connect with Mexican culture. They then told everybody that all the fans were also members of Team °C-ute and expressed much gratitude and love. Following this, they performed ‘Gamusha Life’ and closed out the concert with ‘JUMP’. These were especially fantastic choices because they allowed the girls to be a little more informal for the conclusion. The end was performed with a bit more interaction with the crowd, a very effective way to depart. It left the fans with awesome positive images. As quickly as it felt the concert had begun, it was already over. The concert hall was then separated into two groups: VIP and non-VIP. The VIP members were allowed to have a quick handshake with each member followed by the non-VIP fans who had managed to snag the CD (which was the only other way to get the handshake ticket). The girls were extremely enthusiastic and kind as everyone proceeded through the handshake line. With really big and pleasant smiles, they gave everybody their heartfelt thanks. At the very end I managed to let Maimi know that I was from America and that they had lots of love from the American fans. Various fans had various messages for the °C-ute members, which they would similarly express to them as they went through the line. The VIP holders then grabbed their signed photos, CDs and handshake tickets (in case they wanted to keep it for the sake of collecting).
Exhausted, hot and with dissipated voices, we stood outside the concert hall and reflected on the experience. We had heard many amazing things about °C-ute being amazing performers. They not only lived up to this expectation, but went beyond it. Between the infectious positivity and energy of the Mexican fans, the extremely top-notch and enthusiastic performance from °C-ute and the amazing set list, we’d be hard-pressed to find something to complain about. As we walked off to grab a bite, we already knew that was going to be one concert we wouldn’t forget. A-To-J Connections was proud to be a part this momentous occasion. Here’s hoping that °C-ute will be able to travel abroad to give more fans the opportunity to experience them as well. °C-ute Are: ◆ Yajima Maimi (矢島舞美, Leader) ◆ Nakajima Saki (中島早貴) ◆ Suzuki Airi (鈴木愛理) ◆ Okai Chisato (岡井千聖) ◆ Hagiwara Mai (萩原舞) Concert Set-List 1. Kanashiki Heaven 2. Adam to Eve no Dilemma 3 MC (Introductions in Spanish) 4. Soku Dakishimete 5. I miss you 6. Forever Love 7. Massara Blue Jeans 8. Ookina Ai de Motenashite 9. Sekai ichi Happy na Onna no ko 10. Namida no Iro 11. Aitai Aitai Aitaina 12. Crazy Kanzen na Otona 13. MC (Lottery Corner) 14. Tokaikko Junjou 15. Love take it all 16. The Middle Management ~Josei Chuukan Kanrishoku~ 17. Midnight Temptation 18. Kiss Me Aishiteru 19. Dance de Bakoon! ENCORE 20. Sakura Chirari 21. MC (Messages) 22. Gamusha Life 23. JUMP -Teepu (Bowser05) For more information on °C-ute, UP-FRONT and Hello! Project please follow Up-Front Link At: Twitter: @UpFrontLink Facebook: facebook.com/upfrontlink All photos ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. Used with permission. |
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