Matsuura Aya

Full Name: Aya Matsuura
Nickname: Ayaya
Chinese Name: 松浦亜弥
Birth Date: 1986 06 25 (19)
Blood Type: B
Country: Hyogo, Japan

Matsuura Aya (松浦亜弥, Matsuura Aya) is a female Japanese popular music artist who was born on June 25, 1986 in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture.

Aya auditioned for the group Morning Musume in 2000, and became the 4th member/group selected to be in the “little sister” portion of Morning Musume; Another H!P group, Sheki Dol also came out of the 4th audition. After being chosen from that audition, Aya Matsuura began her Solo career, with which, after time that is, she would become one of H!P’s biggest acts.

Aside from a successful solo career, Aya Matsuura (nicknamed Ayaya), has also done numerous collaborations with other members of Hello! Project, including one-time groups Gomattou with Maki Goto and Miki Fujimoto, Nochiura Natsumi with Maki Goto and Natsumi Abe, and DEF.DIVA with Maki Goto, Natsumi Abe and Ishikawa Rika. She’s also done the “Folk Song” series which feature Yuko Nakazawa and other H!P artists, as well as Hello! Project’s shuffle groups (Ayaya was placed in 3-nin Matsuri for 2001, Odoru 11 in 2002, Salt 5 in 2003, and the larger H!P All Stars in 2004).

Matsuura has been in many commercials for various companies (notably Pretz snack foods, Epson color printers, and Kirin beverages). Currently she also takes part and co-hosts the television show Utawara with other names in Japanese entertainment such as Johnny Jimusho’s Matsumoto Jun.

Matsuura Aya debuted in 2001 with the single Dokki Doki! LOVE Mail. Her debut album, First Kiss, followed in 2002 after a number of single releases. She then quickly became a favorite amongst Hello! Project fans. Maintaining that sweet and bubbly feel that is evident in all Hello! Project artists, Ayaya is a solid example of solo talent for those who go for this particular flavor of J-Pop, which is certainly not without its fans. It has made her one of the most popular and successful solo artists in the Hello! Project.

To date Aya has released three albums and a collection of singles that have achieved respectable placings on the Oricon chart, though so far she has yet to make it to the top spot. She previously had a radio show called Let’s do it!! and now has a new radio show Matsuura Aya no All Night Nippon that started on March 30, 2005. She has also participated in various shuffle units with other Hello! Project artists. In other work, 19 year old Ayaya has appeared in many CMs, doramas, a few films, and starred in an entire musical called Sougen no Hito in 2003, for which she also did the soundtrack.

Her first single of 2005 is Zutto Suki De Ii Desu Ka, and she has a best-of compilation album that was released at the end of March. An album of new material is expected later this year.

Aya is currently a co-host of the musical variety show Utawara Hot Hit 10.

More Links:
Official Website of Aya
Filmography
Aya’s Fan site

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