credit: KHING VINLUAN
This will be the very first time in my writing career that I will be featuring and interviewing a girl group. Why did it take this long, you ask? The answer is simple. I had to wait for the right one to come along that I believe is different from the rest of the other girl groups.
With the Classy Girls, I see not only a stark contrast visually from their peers but a distinct personality in each one of the four girls. I like those nuances because they not only add a refreshing dimension and give us a respite from the norm.
The Classy Girls are comprised of Dhaki, Melody, Franz, and Heaven. These are four girls who I believe will help raise the bar when it comes to what a local girl group should be. I see a lot of potential in them and I hope they continue to succeed.
Now, without any further delay, here is my interview with the Classy Girls.
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1) Why are the Classy Girls different from most other young girl groups?
MELODY: Firstly, we try to be classy in every sense of the word when it comes to the performance aspect of our shows. We try to wear outfits that are still deemed acceptable for all to see no matter how young or old they are.
DAKHI: We invest a good chunk of our time in creating original songs and not just performing covers and trendy songs that everyone has heard so many times already. Although, we do perform occasionally cover songs and when do we still try to put our own “twist” to it.
We also think on our feet and are not just “pretty faces”.
HEAVEN: The Classy Girls are conscious of how we behave in and out of the public eye; we try to always “behave” no matter where we go. hehehe…
FRANZ: I think of all the girl groups out there we are the only ones who have a full choreography in our sets. That is one reason why we stand out from the other girl groups, I believe. I just do not see any other group that is completely similar to us.
2) There are four of you in the group. What is the dominant personality trait of each member?
MELODY: I am the oldest member of the group, so the tendency for my other group mates is to call me “Ate”. That does make me feel a bit old! hahaha… But it is okay with me because I think it also a sign of respect.
DAKHI: When it comes to the group singing, I am the one who can be heard the most because I do have a strong sounding voice and I can also project out my voice well. I can say that singing is my forte and not only dancing.
HEAVEN: I am the outgoing person and that shows because I am not at all camera shy. Neither do I feel nervous being in front of a big crowd. I also get to hype up the crowd during our shows which is another role I have in the group.
FRANZ: I have a very generous and giving spirit when it comes to the other girls. This quality I have had since I was a kid and I am this way even to The Classy Girls who I treat them almost like family since we do spend a lot of time together to practice, performing in events, and stuff like that.
3) Prior to being in the Classy Girls, were any of you a member already of a girl group?
MELODY: Nope. This is my first time to be in a girl group and I think I made the right decision to be here.
DAKHI: Yes, I have been in other groups and even a few bands before but for me, this, so far, is the best group I have been in.
credit: KHING VINLUAN
HEAVEN: Let us just say, this is not my first rodeo. hahaha… so, no, this is not the first group for me although this is the smallest group I have been a part of and yet, I can say that because we are so few in the group we are able to build a strong and loyal camaraderie with each other which closeness I have not experienced in my previous groups.
FRANZ: No previous groups for me. I am brand new to this.
4) When you are not recording or performing, how do you pass the time and enjoy the days off?
MELODY: A lot of sleep, that is for sure. hehehe… I use those days without work to basically recover so that when the next show comes I can give my 100 percent.
DAKHI: I get some rest at home and I spend time with my family usually by going out to the mall with them. I treat our off’s like a weekend from school without the hard-partying, clubbing, or drinking. I prefer clean fun only.
HEAVEN: Bed rest. These are the times that I can wake up really late and eat whatever I want.
FRANZ: Sleep, sleep, sleep. And did I fail to mention, sleep? hahaha…
5) What is each member’s unique fashion sense when performing?
DAKHI: I think I speak for everyone when I say we just wear the costumes set for us in each show we do. But the costumes we wear are not too revealing or bordering on the vulgar, either. Just enough skin exposed so that we can also properly dance and perform without us feeling restricted in our movements. Realistically, we can’t be covered from head to toe! hahaha… This is not the 19th century! hahaha…
One more thing is that even though we do have a theme or a set outfit when we perform, each of our outfits is not exactly the same with each other. You can notice some differences here and there in our outfits and we do make the extra effort to reveal our unique personalities even in what we wear.
6) What is your favorite hobby/interest?
MELODY: I really enjoy dancing as far back as I can remember. Dancing is just a great way for me to relieve stress, too.
DAKHI: I just love to sing. Even when we do not have shows I make sure I do some vocal exercises at home to maintain the quality of my singing voice.
HEAVEN: Watching movies at home is good enough for me. I have been a movie buff since I was a little girl.
credit: KHING VINLUAN
FRANZ: Shopping. I especially enjoy shopping when I am with my family because besides spending time with them, I can also get their advice when it comes to the clothes I wear in shows and when I go out.
7) If you could bring one fictional character to life, who would it be, and why?
MELODY: Wonder Woman, that is for sure! That is pretty self-explanatory on its own. If you watched the movie, you would know why I picked her over the other characters.
DAKHI: Alice of Alice in Wonderland. It would be interesting how she would fit in, in our society today. Alice exists in a parallel world that is as strange as it can be, so I wonder if she would even enjoy it here or would she prefer to go back to her own home.
HEAVEN: Rather than bring someone to life that is not real, I would choose someone who has passed away not too long ago to bring back to life. And that would be Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. I have always admired her nationalism, courage, and intelligence. She is my role model.
FRANZ: Catwoman. Especially, that of the comic book character from the golden age of DC comics and not the current version of Catwoman. But I would bring her to life as a superhero and not a villain because the world surely needs more heroes rather than villains.
8) Roses or chocolates? Or something else? What do you appreciate receiving from an admirer?
MELODY: Kit Kat would be fine. But make it a pack and not just one piece. hahaha… That is a joke, of course!
DAKHI: Roses are still sweet to receive and traditional also. So, I will go for roses over chocolates, any day.
HEAVEN: Chocolates. Not the overly sweet kind, though. I do like chocolates but I do not have them all the time.
FRANZ: Anything sweet! Hersheys, Kisses, Maltesers, you name it. hehehe…
9) If you could have one superpower, what would it be, and how would you use it?
MELODY: I wish I had the ability to grant wishes so that I can grant the wishes of people in need and are looking for a way out of their difficult life situations. Especially, those suffering a terminal illness. I would want to cure them.
DAKHI: The superpower to read people’s minds like Professor-X in the X-Men. I would love to have that superpower so that I know who are the people telling me the truth or lying to me. A mind reader is more like it.
HEAVEN: Surely, to be able to fly like Superman! At least I can go anywhere I want for free and get out of dangerous situations in a breeze.
FRANZ: The power to stop time and restart it anytime I want to. I think to be able to do that would make me greater than most other superheroes. I can think of a lot of ways to put it to good use.
10) What is your newest song that your fans and followers should watch out for and expect to hear in your gigs and events?
DAKHI: I will answer this one on behalf of the group. We, the Classy Girls, have an upcoming collaboration with Rapido. The title of the song will be called “Kumbabaero” and it should be released within the month of January. Please watch out for that.
We have begun to collaborate with different kinds of artists coming from varying genres. I hope you guys will like our future collaborations with them. They will surely be something special is what I can say for now.
11) Any upcoming gigs or events you would like to promote?
DAKHI: Everyone can see us perform live in the month of January in following locations: On Tuesdays, we will be at Resorts World. On Fridays, we will be at Social House. And on Saturdays, we will be at Cowboy Grill (Mabini branch).
We hope to see all you guys in these locations in the month of January. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy an evening of entertainment, care of us. The Classy Girls.