Summer Shuffles: 2001

	3 Nin Matsuri
	7 Nin Matsuri
	10 Nin Matsuri

2001 was the second year of the Hello! Project Summer Shuffles. This year was really a great year in the H!P world…new members, great songs, etc. The shuffles that year really show all that success.

The 3 groups that year were all “matsuri” themed, a matsuri being a Japanese festival filled with partying and having fun. The 3 groups were 3 Nin Matsuri, 7 Nin Matsuri, and 10 Nin Matsuri. Each of those translate to ‘[insert number here] person matsuri.’ The songs each differ extremely from each other, making them special in their own special way.

3 Nin Matsuri consists of Ai Kago and Rika Ishikawa of MM, and the uber popular soloist Aya Matsuura. This group was considered the cute group…and if you look at them, you’d agree. Their song was Chu! Natsu Party, which means Kiss! Summer Party. It’s an amazingly cute, poppy song, that’s totally mind-controlling. Once again, if you take a listen at it, you’ll agree. Everything about this group is too cute…their hair, their underwear (look at their PV XD), their singing, everything! But, unlike some other cute H!P songs, I’m quite fond of this. (actually this is the 2nd ever H!P song I’ve heard…)

7 Nin Matsuri is made up of Maki Goto and Mari Yaguchi from MM, Ayaka and Lehua from Coconuts Musume, Asami from Country Musume, Ayumi Shibata from Melon Kinenbi, and soloist Michiyo Heike. Their theme is reggae, as shown in their song title, Summer Reggae! Rainbow. It’s another fun song, including the appropriate “yo yo yo” and “oh-oh-yo!” ’s that you would expect from this kind of song. It has all the “reggae” elements, right down to the instruments used, background vocals and singing style, song composition, everything. (I feel like I’m on a cruise while listening to this XD) It even includes a somewhat frightening bit towards the end where the background voice dude does a little repeat back and forth with the girls thing. It’s another one of my all-time favorites.

10 Nin Matsuri is Natsumi Abe, Kaori Iida, Kei Yasuda, Nozomi Tsuji, and Hitomi Yoshizawa out of MM, Hitomi Saito, Megumi Murata, and Masae Otani out of Melon Kinenbi, Rinne from Country Musume, and Mika from Coconuts Musume. Out of the total diversity from the 2001 shuffles, this is the most out-there song/group. Their song is titled Dancing! Natsu Matsuri, Dancing Summer Party. I really can’t explain this song…it’s like a total traditiona; Japanese matsuri party fish market…thing. There’s a boat-load of “wasshoi!” ’s and “*drums*” The verses are almost like raps, but not the raps associated with “YO YO WHATSUP?”. You just, really, really need to listen to it to get the whole feel. This song may be total chaos, but isn’t that what we love about some songs? I know I love this song.

3 Nin Matsuri
01. Chu! Natsu Party
02. HELLO! Mata Aou ne (3nin Matsuri version)
03. Chu! Natsu Party (Instrumental)

7 Nin Matsuri
01. Summer Reggae! Rainbow
02. HELLO! Mata Aou ne (7nin Matsuri version)
03. Summer Reggae! Rainbow (Instrumental)

10 Nin Matsuri
01. Dancing! Natsu Matsuri
02. HELLO! Mata Aou ne (10nin Matsuri version)
03. Dancing! Natsu Matsuri (Instrumental)