Sheki-Dol
Sheki-Dol (シェキドル) was a Hello! Project group, active from 2000-2002.
The name of the group was made up by the theme "hot": "Sekidou" (Equator) and "garu/gal" (Girls) were put together, creating "Sekidou Girl", as well as incorporating the phrase "Shake it".
Tsunku described Sheki-Dol's music as "rock" and "hard core rock music" after recording their first song "Kokoro no Pheromone". Their music is rougher and more noisy than most of the bubblegum pop Tsunku has been famous for, but it still lies firmly in the pop category.
History
2000
After the success of Morning Musume, Tsunku and the agency UFA held several auditions for girls wanting to be idol singers. The auditions were held sporadically, and the audition called the "Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition", held on May 17th 2000, would spawn three winners; Matsuura Aya (who went on to a solo career), and Ibuki Ooki and Ami Kitagami who would form the group Sheki-Dol.
In the summer of 2000 Sheki-Dol participated in the Hello! Project summer concerts, their first time on stage ever.They sang the then unreleased song "Kokoro no Pheromone" at the cocnert "Hello! Project 2000 Atsumare! Summer Party".
In October, Sheki-Dol started their own column in Sony Music Magazine, called "Sheki-Dol reneval series, my Resume". They were featured once a month for 11 columns. Midways, in October, the column changed name to "Sheki-Dol no Kokoro Maruhadaka", meaning something like "Sheki-Dol bares it all", where the column changes from infotainment to a series og pshycology tests.
In November of 2000 they released their first single, labeled as an indies release (but for sale everywhere), and released by Spree Records. The title of the single is "Kokoro no Pheromone" ("Pheromone of the Heart"), a rock song with a medium tempo and easy-going, laid-back vocals. The song was used as the ending theme to the tv show "Sanma No Super Karakuri TV." Sheki-Dol also started their own radio program, which ran until their disbandedment, called "Funky, Monkey, Sheki". It aired once a week (Fridays or Wednesdays) from 3:30 a.m. on Bay FM.
Every New Year's Eve, a Japanese tv show called "Kouhaku Uta Gassen" is aired on national tv. It is the most watched program of the year, and it is a song competition. Only the best selling and most famous artists are invited to the show, and in 2000 Morning Musume were invited to perform at the show. Sheki-Dol got to be on stage behind Morning Musume. Ami Kitagami said in an interview : “Even though we were hidden behind Morning Musume, we were actually on the stage, and that’s what counts (lol)”
2001
In March of 2001, Mami Suenaga joined Sheki-Dol as a new member. Asked in an interview how it was to join a duo that already had been working together for some time, Suenaga said: "We broke the ice in a matter of a few seconds." Ibuki said: "It has been only a few months since Mami joined us, but I feel like she’s been a part of us all along because she fits in so well. Many people tell us she is a perfect addition to our group."
Shortly after becoming a 3-member group, Sheki-Dol released their second single "Tetteiteki Unmei" (A Total Destiny), also categorized as an indies release.
Two months later they released what would be their third single, an anime tie-in titled "Zentaiteki ni Daisuki Desu" ("Overall, I Love You"). It was the theme song for "Crayon Shinchan", an anime that follows the adventures of five-year-old Shinnosuke "Shin" Nohara and his family and friends. The song also appears on a compilation album for the anime. Music magazines described the single as a cute pop song with fun-loving beats. Just a few weeks after the release, Sheki-Dol participated in the H!P summer concert, singing "Zentaiteki ni Daisuki Desu.".
In August, Ibuki decided to graduate Sheki-Dol to beome a model. Sheki-Dol was featured in several photoshoots for several magazines when they were active, and in these interviews Ibuki's interest changed and she wanted to pursue something else than music. She took the stage name EVEKI (pronounced Ibuki), did some photo shoots and fell into oblivion.
Saki Arai went to an interview with the agency, after being told to go try out. She passed the audition and joined Sheki-Dol the same month.
Around this time Tsunku and UFA decides to release their fourth single as their major debut single, as their previous three releases were labeled indies. They also switched record labels to Sony Music (same as Heike Michiyo). Several magazine promotions and interviews were scheduled, and they pushed Saki Arai to the front being center in intwrviews, and also on the cover of the single. It is entitled "Ai wa Muteki ~Hatachi no Yoru no Chikai~", and was released on December 5th, 2001.
2002
Around the same time the agency issued a message saying that Mami Suenaga needed medical attention, and for a short while Sheki-Dol was a duo again (as seen in their final music column). Just a short month after releaseing their major debut single, it was announced that Sheki-Dol had disbanded. The reason for this was the previous statement, saying that Suneaga needed medical attention. It was later discovered that Suenaga had become pregnant.
After the disbanding of the group, Ami Kitagami continued as a talento for a few years before retiring. Suenaga was out of the spotlight for a few years, writing lyrics and doing back-up vocals for other artists. In 2007 she started singing and performing again, under the stage name Rin.
Members
Original members (July 2000):
- Kitagami Ami (北上アミ)
- Oki Ibuki (大木衣吹, left in summer of 2001)
Joined March 2001:
- Suenaga Mami (末永真己)
Joined August 2001:
- Arai Saki (荒井紗紀)
Discography
Singles
- [2000.11.01] Kokoro no Pheromone (心のフェロモン)
- [2001.04.13] Tetteiteki Unmei (徹底的運命)
- [2001.06.27] Zentaiteki ni Daisuki Desu. (全体的に大好きです。)
- [2001.12.05] Ai wa Muteki ~Hatachi no Yoru no Chikai~ (愛は無敵～二十歳の夜の誓い～)
