b-pop Announces Release of Japanese-Brazilian Group Linda San Sei's Debut Album and YouTube Reality Series

b-pop Announces Release of Japanese-Brazilian Group Linda San Sei's Debut Album and YouTube Reality Series

"Viva Linda San Sei" is teen girl group's first album and their new YouTube reality show

TOKYO, April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- b-pop Inc. has announced the April 2nd Japanese release of the first album from Japanese-Brazilian sensation Linda San Sei. The teen group's debut album "Viva Linda San Sei" follows hot on the heels of the global iTunes release and shares the same name as their innovative YouTube series.

The YouTube reality show of the same name tells the story of a group of five Japanese-Brazilian teenagers whose mission is to bring the two countries closer together through their music. It was developed and produced by leading Japanese video entertainment company Breaker, to appeal to fans of Linda San Sei in both Japan and Brazil. The show is in Japanese and Portuguese, employing sub-titles in both languages, with the goal of creating a truly bi-cultural hit.

Linda San Sei refers to their unique sound and the fusion of the two cultures as "b-pop." This sound is a unique blend of pop-dance music with a splash of Samba, and was pioneered in Japan. B-pop was conceived by startup venture studio Designed For Revolution (DFR Asia) in collaboration with Two 4 Seven Inc. With the soccer World Cup taking place in Brazil this June and July and the South American country hosting the 2016 Olympics, the timing is perfect for a crossover cultural hit. With a total combined population of over 325 million people, the Japan-Brazil market is roughly the same size as the United States.

The teen group, comprised of Mutsumi (13), Naomi (13), Sakura (13) and the twins Sayuri and Shiori (15), decided to call themselves Linda San Sei because, in Portuguese, "linda" means "beautiful" and, in Japanese, "san sei" is "third generation." Four of the members were born in Brazil, and one in Japan, although all five were raised in Japan.

Their first DVD single "EZ Zoo" released last April was viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube during the first week, which created the initial buzz in Japanese media. Since then they have electrified crowds at major festivals and shows including Fuji Idol Festival, Summer Sonic, and Tokyo Girls Collection--where they opened in front of 25,000 people at a leading fashion event in September 2013.

The group's second DVD single "Aiken Anthony" came out in July and, like the first, was initially uploaded to You Tube before being distributed through iTunes and the DVD sold in partnership with Yamada Denki.

Their first CD single "Hiyake Machine" ("Tanning Machine" in English) was released in January 2014 and was a tie-up theme song on major national FM radio for two months.

Alan Swarts, CEO of Breaker, commented, "In just 20 months this group of talented Japanese Brazilian teenage girls has become the face of b-pop. With the upcoming World Cup and 2016 Olympics, they're poised to become true cultural ambassadors. They continue to develop their own sound and are one of the most groundbreaking groups to come out of the Japanese music scene in a long time."

Digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution (DFR) originally conceived and launched both b-pop and Breaker, and plays an ongoing management role in both ventures.

About b-pop Inc.

Conceived as a platform to promote the crossover of pop culture between Japan and Brazil, b-pop's first project is the creation, management and marketing of Japanese-Brazilian all-girl teen group Linda San Sei. Between the Brazil World Cup in 2014 and the Rio Olympics in 2016 there will be increasing cultural contact between Japan and Brazil, as Brazil has the largest population of Japanese descent outside of Japan. The mission of b-pop is to be at the intersection of pop culture between these two exciting, and culturally robust countries.

About DFR Asia

Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company's ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit dfra.com.

Contact: Yoko Sone
Telephone: +81 6280 4333
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SOURCE b-pop, Inc.

b-pop, Inc.


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