Golden Half
Golden Half (ゴールデンハーフ, Gōruden Hāfu) was a Japanese idol group active from 1970 to 1974, notable for being composed entirely of hāfu members—women of mixed Japanese and non-Japanese heritage. The group was promoted by Watanabe Productions and became one of the most recognizable novelty pop acts of the early 1970s, trading on the cultural fascination with hāfu identity during Japan's postwar economic boom. Their name is a direct reference to the Japanese term for mixed-heritage individuals.
Golden Half was formed in September 1970 to perform on the Fuji TV program Beat Pop, where they sang and go-go danced. The group originally had five members: Eva Maria Vasquez (half-Spanish), Maria Mori (half-American), Luna Takamura (half-German), Yumi Kobayashi, and Eri Ishiyama. Eri departed shortly after the group's debut, and the group continued as a quartet. Yumi Kobayashi, the only fully Japanese member, was reportedly introduced to the public under the pretense of being half-Italian to fit the group's concept. The four remaining members were signed to Toshiba EMI and released ten singles before disbanding in 1974.
Their best-known song is キイロイサクランボ (Kiiroi Sakuranbo, "Yellow Cherry"), originally recorded by The Three Cats in 1959, which Golden Half covered as their debut single and made into a cultural touchstone. The group appeared in Yasuharu Hasebe's 1970 film Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter, performing the song in a nightclub scene. A successor group, Golden Half Special, was formed in 1976 after the original group disbanded.
Members[edit]
- Eva Maria Vasquez
- Maria Mori
- Luna Takamura
- Yumi Kobayashi
- Eri Ishiyama (departed early)
