Da Pump

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DA PUMP (ダパンプ, Da Panpu?) is a popular Japanese singing and dancing hip hop group consisting of four members from Okinawa, Japan. They are the first all male vocal group to graduate from Okinawa Actors' School which also trained superstars, Namie Amuro, SPEED, and MAX. Debuting on the avex tune sublabel of the indies giant avex trax, DA PUMP was the first "boyband" to successfully penetrate the market monopolized by Johnny's Entertainment.

Members

Current members

• Issa Hentona (辺土名 一茶, Hentona Issa?, ISSA) [Born: 9 December 1978; Blood Type: B]
• Ken Okumoto (奥本 健, Okumoto Ken?, KEN) [Born: 17 December 1979; Blood Type: O]
• Yukinari Tamaki (玉城 幸也, Tamaki Yukinari?, YUKINARI) [Born: 5 November 1978; Blood Type: O]

• Shinobu Miyara (宮良 忍, Miyara Shinobu?, SHINOBU) [Born: 15 February 1980; Blood Type: O]

Famed for their ability in both dancing and singing, and for their good looks, DA PUMP's debut came in 1997, with the song "Feelin Good - It's PARADISE" and breaking through with "Rhapsody in Blue" (and using the song as their entry on the "white" team during the 1998 Kōhaku Uta Gassen). The group originally came from Okinawa Actors School but are now part of the Avex Network and are produced by Akio Togashi. Their songs tend to have a quick tempo and often include elements of rap. DA PUMP often appears in TV shows, movies, and magazines throughout Japan.

ISSA has stated that he is a fan of the long running Kamen Rider Series tokusatsu programs, and has contributed to the soundtracks of Kamen Rider 555 with its opening theme "Justiφ's" and its film's theme "Justiφ's -Accel Mix-" as well as the theme for the film Kamen Rider The Next, "CHOSEN SOLDIER." As a group, DA PUMP had performed the theme to the film Kamen Rider The First, "Bright! our Future."

Following a DUI arrest in 2005, SHINOBU temporarily suspended all activities from the group. However, on 7 April 2006, he officially announced that he has left the group. The remaining members of DA PUMP will continue on as three. During his leave, he returned to Okinawa and in a letter posted on his management company's website he explained that during his time there he felt an urge to perform the music of the prefecture and with those sentiments decided to leave the group. At this time, it has been decided that Shinobu will go solo although no concrete plans have been made.