Camila Cabello says speaking and singing Spanish connects her to her childhood

Camila Cabello keeps her culture and background alive in her latest Elle Mexico cover. The star, which is promoting her upcoming album Familia, revealed how her first language connects her to her childhood.

“When I speak in Spanish, the young parts of me come out, the ones that have been in my subconscious since I was born [when] I lived in Cuba and Mexico,” she told the publication in Spanish.

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The 25-year-old Cuban native said that Spanish-language is her safe space. “It’s my most childish and innocent self, before the struggles and confrontations with mental health issues and everything that comes with growing up,” she shared.

Cabello, who began her singing career in the all-girl group Fifth Harmony after participating in the second season of The X Factor, told Elle Mexico that she is soaking in her culture constantly.

“Since last year, I tried to read and watch more series in Spanish,” she shared. “Spend more time with that side of me: the intact part of my personality, like when a child knows only joy and happiness.”

Camila said that the more she immersed herself in the Latinx culture, the more she wanted to learn. “I am an immigrant who came to the United States when I was seven years old; I grew up with a Mexican father and a Cuban mother, which made me feel in the middle,” the singer explains. “The strong bond I have with my Mexican and Cuban cultures makes me feel like I have a home, which inspires me. The more mature, the more I want to be in those places surrounded by my people and learn more about the cultures present in me.”

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Cabello will be releasing her album Familia this year. According to the singer and actress, the name behind the album came after watching a Tiny Desk Concert on NPR. “I remember seeing C. Tangana’s Tiny Desk where there is a table with people around it, like a festive dinner, and I said to myself: ‘That’s what I want in my life,’” she recalls.

“At that time, I began to cook and invite people to my house; I started to be more sociable because before, I was very introverted. I wanted great friendships and to be close with the people with whom I am making the album. That was one reason for the name, and on the other hand, my blood family is a big part of who I am.“