Camila Cabello
Camila Cabello never forgets where she came from. Well, how can she, when she has composed and sung about her native Cuba (her hometown is actually Cojimar), on a song called Havana that has been played and replayed numerous times all over the world. The mid-tempo slow jam is a catchy salsa styled tune that talks about falling in love with a Cuban guy with the lyrics going… Havana, ooh na-na (ay) / Half of my heart is in Havana, ooh-na-na (ay, ay) / He took me back to East Atlanta, na-na-na / Oh, but my heart is in Havana (ay) / There’s somethin’ ‘bout his manners (uh huh) / Havana, ooh na-na (uh). The music video is eye candy for many with its beautiful visuals of old town Cuba.
Going back in time to her early days, Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao was born on 3 March 1997 in Cojimar, Eastern Havana, Cuba. Camila is half Cuban and half Mexican, with her father hailing from Mexico City. Thus her early days were spent shuttling between Cuba and Mexico, before her family finally settled down in Miami, Florida.
Camila knew she had a penchant for singing and to fuel it further she took part in whatever school activities that came her way while she attended Miami Palmetto High School. But sometime around 2013 when she was in the 9th grade, she dropped out of school to pursue a career in singing. Her parents decided to continue her education by getting her homeschooled.
Camila loved listening to pop and R&B, not forgetting the Latin music styles that came her way. While still very young, Camila auditioned for the second season of The X Factor in 2012, singing one of her favourite artist’s songs — Aretha Franklin’s R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Being a cover song, the audition was not aired as the TV channel broadcasting the show did not get the rights for the song. But to her surprise a few days after elimination during the boot camp portion of the show in Miami, Florida, Camila was called back to the stage along with other contestants who would become not only her band mates, but also friends forever. Camila joined Ally Brooke, Normani, Lauren Jauregui and Dinah Jane on stage as the judges pronounced them as joint winners to form a band that later came to be known as Fifth Harmony. Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao dropped her first and last name, and from then on went with the stage name Camila Cabello.
Read the full article by subscribing to the print magazine or the digital edition.
Verus Ferreira is a music journalist for over three decades. He is the author of The Great Music Quiz Book and The Great Rock Music Quiz Book and the founder of Musicunplugged.in