The Jonas Brothers from left, Nick, Kevin and Joe perform in New Jersey. The pop group is currently on a world tour that will take them from points ranging from San Antonio to Abu Dhabi.
The Jonas Brothers from left, Nick, Kevin and Joe perform in New Jersey. The pop group is currently on a world tour that will take them from points ranging from San Antonio to Abu Dhabi.
The Jonas Brothers from left, Nick, Kevin and Joe perform in New Jersey. The pop group is currently on a world tour that will take them from points ranging from San Antonio to Abu Dhabi.
The Jonas Brothers from left, Nick, Kevin and Joe perform in New Jersey. The pop group is currently on a world tour that will take them from points ranging from San Antonio to Abu Dhabi.

The National's Teen Life columnist talks to Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers


  • English
  • Arabic

I like to fancy myself an unworldly person. When I was asked if I would like to interview the Jonas brothers, I coolly responded with something along the lines of, "Yes, please, that will be a very interesting experience."

But it's only for so long that you can pretend because the next moment I was tearing around the house jumping up and down like Tigger on a pogo stick.

It's not every day that a teenager living in Dubai, like me, gets to have a chat with the world-famous Disney pop sensations, after all. And the appeal of the JoBros doesn't just extend to the tweenage section of society, as was made clear when I casually mentioned in a phone conversation with a friend that I had been presented with an opportunity to have a tête-à-tête with either Nick, Joe or Kevin. ("Hello? Omigod omigod, I'm going to talk to one of the Jonas brothers!! EEE!!")

When I arrived at school the next morning, half the year group knew, and throughout the day I continued to be inundated with requests to tell the brothers how much Emily or Lisa or Debbie or whoever adored them with every atom of her heart. Someone I had never seen before stopped me to ask if I was actually friends with Kevin Jonas. "Taught him to play guitar," I answered solemnly and she wandered away in stunned admiration. When the brothers arrive in Abu Dhabi for their concert, security will have a tough time warding off my screaming classmates who are convinced their acquaintance with me entitles them to backstage passes.

Despite having rocketed to stardom when they were just kids, they seem surprisingly grounded. Nick Jonas began performing on Broadway at the age of seven, and years of being in the spotlight has given him a relaxed, easy air that lets him handle media attention with poise and charm. He greets me pleasantly on the phone and talks freely, seemingly unbothered by the time restrictions that control his tight schedule. He tells me he's taken fame in his stride, but stresses that it was his support system that made him what he is today.

"I've been blessed with a good group of people around me, who helped not only me but also my brothers in our journey so far," he says, "and that made this whole thing a lot easier.

"But if we didn't have each other it would have been a lot more difficult. We're really thankful for that relationship."

While most of us have enjoyed and struggled with school at some point in our life, with all the homework, friends, terrifying teachers and drama that are part of the package, Nick has only been to normal school up till third grade. I know I certainly wouldn't have bothered continuing something as trivial as my education when I could be getting an education as versatile as Nick has had - the kind that teaches you how to survive Hollywood. His parents obviously didn't think like me, though. It can't be easy to motivate yourself to do algebra after you've staggered back from shooting a scene for Disney's Camp Rock 2. He, however, is thankful for the flexibility of homeschooling: "I did go to a normal school for a while; I went to normal school from kindergarten to third grade, so I had that experience for a little while. I'm glad that I had a system that worked with my schedule; it was a really nice strength."

With smash-hit albums like It's About Time and A Little Bit Longer under their belts, the brothers are currently on a world tour that will see them visiting places ranging from San Antonio to Abu Dhabi. With millions of people around the globe watching their every move and looking forward to their concerts, they're living the dream, but who do they think are the real stars?

"Our father's been a big part of our musical career - he's one of our call managers and he's been an inspiration for us, which is a really great thing. But musically, people like Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cash, Prince - those were all good ones for us."

Following in their idols' footsteps, they hope that 20 years on from now, they will "continue making music together, or as individuals.

"We have a big passion for this, so we want to continue to do this for as long as we can. We love what we do together and we hope the future holds more opportunities for us to do that."

Being three brothers having greatness thrust upon them when they were merely children, it's a wonder no sort of sibling rivalry exists between them. Their lack of any open hostility towards each other, unlike the case of certain other celebrity brothers or sisters, means that their ridiculously squeaky-clean image has managed to evade tarnishing.

Nick laughs off my suggestion that they ever fight or argue over little things. "We don't really - we're kind of past that age. At this point, we know there's no point in it, it's unproductive, so we just try to enjoy what we do together and really have a good time.

"We realise we've lived our dreams together and that's an amazing thing, so we're really close like that. There's no point in fighting."

So they've never had any differences? (I don't have any siblings but manage to reduce my cousins to floods of tears the one time in the year I see them.) And they've never fought?

"We've had little petty things here and there," he concedes, "but nothing really big, and nothing that's ever blown up into a bigger issue than it should." Diplomatic, much? I suppose there's a reason they're stars and the rest of us are not.

Seeing that it's always been all sweetness and light between them, is there a chance that things will sour, or they will simply decide to go their own ways, splitting up as a group and pursuing their own careers?

"I hope not!" Nick exclaims. "We don't know what the future holds, but we do know that we love what we do together and we're supportive of each other, and our individual dreams too, as a group."

But if "loving what we do together" isn't enough to stop their lives taking their own courses... "If things don't work out as we planned, we'll figure something out. We love what we do together and that's what's important."

It's clear from the passion with which they take control of the stage that they love what they do, but being a superstar can't be all perks. There must be days when even the JoBros wish they could descend to the level of us mere mortals and take a break from the hectic agenda of gigs, practising, trying to snatch a few minutes' rest on planes and handling the press. Of all things, though, Nick Jonas wishes he was a baseball player.

"I think that we have dreams outside of the group at times, and things that involve things that are, you know, outside of our possibilities, but you know, I love baseball. I'd love to be a baseball player. I don't think that's going to happen at this point in time." Maybe not, but he continues: "We have a softball team that travel with us and that we really love and take very seriously. But no, I've never really gotten to play in a league or anything like that."

And if he wasn't Nick Jonas, but could be anyone else in the world, he would be David Jeter, a baseball player. Always a useful bit of trivia, that.

When they arrive in the UAE, Nick says he will be "looking forward to meeting as many different people as I can and hopefully seeing a bit of the city as well and it should be a good time."

As a young diabetic himself, he is concerned by the high levels of diabetes in the country but urges people to hold their ground and "take it one step at a time. Even if you are an independent person, don't be afraid to rely on other people to help you through it. Dealing with diabetes on a day to day basis is not easy, especially when you have a busy schedule, like I do, but as long as you take one step at a time, and let other people help you, you'll be fine."

With three of my friends already having purchased shirts that proclaim "I love Nick", "I love Kevin" and "I love Joe", I will be booking my ticket to their concert as quickly as I can. I'll just have to keep a safe distance from all those who now believe I am their ticket to a candlelit dinner with the JoBros. Meanwhile, though, I can convey Nick's message to his fans: "We love our fans and thank you for supporting my career. They're the best and thank you."

Cue any star-struck girls reading this: "Aww!"

The Jonas Brothers perform at Yas Arena November 18. For details visit www.thinkflash.ae

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

How to vote in the UAE

1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/

2) Take it to the US Embassy

3) Deadline is October 15

4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll

Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

The National photo project

Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).

While you're here
Who is Allegra Stratton?

 

  • Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
  • Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
  • In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
  • The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
  • Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
  • She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
  • Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014
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EA Sports FC 25
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others

Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.

As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.

Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.

“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”

Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.

“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”

Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
if you go

The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.

The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.

 

 

About Krews

Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media 

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

 

UAE tour of the Netherlands

UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match

RESULT

Australia 3 (0) Honduras 1 (0)
Australia: Jedinak (53', 72' pen, 85' pen)
Honduras: Elis (90 4)

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

Company profile

Name: Infinite8

Based: Dubai

Launch year: 2017

Number of employees: 90

Sector: Online gaming industry

Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor

MATCH INFO

Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')

Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')