Fifth Harmony talks with Kidsday
Kidsday reporters from Eastport Elementary School at the Paramount Theater Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014. They are from left Allison Marx, Ciara Belano, Grecia Sorbie and Hailey Williams. They are backstage with the group Fifth Harmony, Dinah Jane Hansen, Lauren Jauregui, Camila Cabello, Ally Brooke Hernandez and Normani Hamilton. Credit: Newsday / Pat Mullooly
We met Camila Cabello, Ally Brooke, Lauren Jauregui, Dinah-Jane Hansen, Normani Hamilton, the members of the great singing group Fifth Harmony, when they appeared at The Paramount theater in Huntington recently.
Where did you get your group name?
Normani: Well, we were on the show "The X Factor." First, we were named Girl Group because we couldn't come up with a name. And then we were LYLAS, and then Simon named us 1432 . . . and then America decided that they wanted to name us, and they came up with Fifth Harmony.
If you could choose to stay a certain age, what age?
Dinah-Jane: I'd say 8 years old. That was my favorite time.
Lauren: I think I would stay at 21 forever.
Camila: I would be 18 forever.
Ally: I just turned 21, so you're at a stage where you're an adult but you're also not too advanced to where you have so much. You're at a good age. It's a lot of fun but you also have a little bit of responsibility.
Normani: I think I would be 21, too. It's like you're an adult, but you're not, like you said, too advanced.
Our favorite song to listen to is "Bo$$." What is your favorite song to perform?
Dinah-Jane: "Reflection." I think I speak for all of us.
Were any of you nervous when you were first put together on "The X Factor"?
Normani: I was really nervous.
Lauren: We didn't really know what to expect . . . . We all auditioned to be solo artists. We all had the dream of being solo artists. It was kind of a new thing that we just had to get used to. We actually had four days to do our first performance together. It was nerve-racking, but we've grown so much together.
When you're on tour, you spend a lot of time together. What is something you guys always bond over besides your music?
Normani: I think the common ground that we all have is that we all really love our family and we're all family-oriented and home means a lot to us. And we kind of bond over that.
Camila: And movies.
How often do you get together to practice or record?
Ally: We're actually going to go back into the studio, and we were in the studio last week. It's not like our schedules change a lot, but I guess every day we sing together somehow, whether it's just fooling around with music or performing.
What do you miss about home?
Dinah-Jane: I miss my siblings.
Lauren: I miss being around my family and friends.
Camila: I miss walking down the street like a normal person.
Ally: I miss my family, friends, church, food and baking.
Normani: I miss my family, my church, my two pets, and I miss going to Walmart every Sunday to get samples.
Silly question: Why do superheroes wear underpants on the outside?
Camila: Because superheroes are weird on the inside so they want to reflect that on the outside, too.
Who makes up the songs that you sing?
Lauren: We have a bunch of people that make them. There's a lot of different songwriters and producers that come together and write songs for us. There's a team.
Camila: They make songs and then we sing them.
Do you play any instruments?
Dinah-Jane: I used to play piano.
Camila: I play the guitar, and the trumpet by the way is my favorite sound ever.
Normani: I played the violin in the third grade.
Ally: I play a little bit of piano and guitar.