Coconuts Musume

Coconuts Musume (ココナッツ娘。, Kokonattsu Musume.?) is a group from Hello! Project that was formed and promoted as the "girls from Hawaiʻi". After nine years, the group officially disbanded when Ayaka Kimura graduated from Hello! Project

1998–2008 – Ayaka Kimura (木村 絢香, Ayaka Kimura? Leader)
1998–2004 – Mika Todd
1998–2001 – Danielle DeLaunay
1998–2000 – Chelsea Ching
1998–2000 – April Barbaran
2000–2002 – Lehua Sandbo

While in Hawaiʻi, fellow bandmate of Tsunku and Sharan Q member, Makoto had originally discovered the five girls who were to become Coconuts Musume. He had requested Tsunku to pick up the act, and in 1999, Coconuts Musume debuted on a Japanese television program, Asayan.

Originally consisting 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 difficulties of adjusting to being a J-pop idol (neither spoke any Japanese when group was formed) and to pursue other careers such as modeling.

Lehua Sandbo was recruited and the group made two more singles until DeLaunay, who also had adjustment difficulties, left to pursue a career in theater. After DeLaunay had left, the group had 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, graduated 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 and hosted on various radio and television shows separately.

Todd became famous as a member of Minimoni, but graduated in 2004 to study singing in California. Meanwhile, Kimura was part of Romans and Petitmoni's third generation. At this time, Kimura was the only member left in Coconuts Musume, however, she was still referred to within Hello! Project as Coconuts Musume Ayaka.

On April 30, 2008, it was announced on Hello! Project's official website, that Kimura was graduating to pursue a career in acting, thus disbanding Coconuts Musume. · close