Thelma Aoyama

Thelma Aoyama, born 27 October 1987, is a Japanese pop and R&B singer. She is part Afro-Trinidadian and Japanese.

She was born Thelma Juri Aoyama (青山テルマじゅり) and spent six years at Osaka International School as an elementary school student. At age 12, her family moved to Torrance, California, where she lived for two years and attended Calle Mayor Middle School. She returned to Japan in the winter of 2002, settling in Tokyo. Aoyama attended the American School in Japan. She attended Sophia University.

She is known for her collaboration song with SoulJa, "Koko ni Iru yo" and her answer song "Soba ni Iru ne". In September 2008, the Guinness World Records certified that "Soba ni Iru ne" was the best-selling digital download single in Japan with over two million "full-track" downloads (Chaku Uta Full). Including various forms of digital downloads, it sold over 8.7 million downloads by November 2008. The Guinness record was surpassed by Greeeen's song "Kiseki" in June 2009.