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songstress certainly has no problem getting noticed. Simply put, she was born to make an impact.
Cindy, who was born on November 24, 1984, was born to sing even though she does not believe it.
I had initially planned to do an intensive interview with her on June 28, but before I even started the interview, she took control and just poured out everything she wanted to say.
As someone who has studied marketing, I am not surprised that she marketed herself well. Although I had planned to ask her 10 questions, she did not give me that opportunity, but I managed to squeeze in three:
FZ: How did you get started in the music industry?
CM: Accidentally. It was mainly due to peer pressure. A friend of mine at Trust Academy with whom I was undertaking a Diploma in Marketing programme, Lorraine Dunduru, was impressed by my singing and started to pressurise me into developing this career. I then went to record at Take 5 Studio with Chamhembe and Delani Makhalima, the producer, liked my voice.
I then began to write my own songs which resulted in my first 12-track album entitled “Kukuda/Loving You”, which features the hit song “Stressed Out”. To me it was a hobby at first, but the public began to take me seriously, so I also decided to take them seriously. I was even nominated in the outstanding musician category, first by Zima in 2006 and by Nama in 2007 against big guns such as Oliver Mtukudzi, Kireni Zulu and Mai Charamba.
Although I am labelled as an urban groover, I am more into Dendera and Rhythm and Blues as evidenced by my own rendition of Simon Chopper Chimbetu’s “Spare Wheel/One Way”. I have been a Chopper fan from youth.
As a result of this label, I collaborated with the urban groovers between 2007 and 2008 and in February, 2010 due to pressure from the public, I was forced to record “Tha Groove Theory” which features the hit “Nerudo”.
This resulted in my participation in the Miss Tourism project. I also collaborated in another project initiated by Russo from Nitredy Studios which involved other urban groovers such as Pauline Gundidza (Mafriq),
Trevor Dongo, Taurai Mandebvu, Stunner, Nesto, Tererai Mugwadi, Madiz and Squicky (Nitredy) on a song paying tribute to the late Sam Mtukudzi.
“Tha Groove Theory”, which was more of an experimental album, got massive response as it has been played by online radio stations, on YouTube and by Channel O. This extensive marketing has led to my rise to stardom.
FZ: Tell me about your rise to stardom?
CM: Initially, I was doing everything for myself, but of late, my manager, Chipo Mlambo, has been helping me. I also have supportive parents. My mother even gave me the lyrics I added to Sam Mtukudzi’s song, “Nguva haisi yako mwanangu. Nguva ndeya Mwari”. My parents are proud of me and that counts a lot.
When I performed with Beenie Man, everyone thought I was from Jamaica and was part of Beenie Man’s team. I did a duet with Beenie Man on a song he did with Janet Jackson entitled “Feel It Boy” and my fans, including Beenie Man, were impressed as I fitted into the Janet Jackson role well.
Then I was chosen to represent Zimbabwe on the Big Brother Africa Amplified eviction show in South Africa. I was overjoyed as that was a dream come true. To cap it all I was a supporting act at the recent Sean Kingston show. Riley Urick, Kingston’s producer, asked me to write lyrics to three songs within two hours, and I did it. He was impressed and he also liked my voice. His words were: “I like Cindy because she is someone I feel I can work with, she has the voice and vibe I am looking for and, above all, she is humble.” He added that he was going to edit and produce the recorded work in America and send me a copy which will have an American and Zimbabwean fusion.
FZ: Well, we shall wait and see, but tell me Cindy, how do you cope with the attention female musicians receive from their male audiences? Let me explain. When I was manager of the Frontline Kids, we had a female singer called Primrose Sithole, who would get the attention of men as well as all sorts of verbal abuses from drunk male audiences. She later quit the band due to this kind of pressure. Is that happening to you?
CM: Well, it’s not easy, I tell you. Those times have not changed, but I am a different person. I am scandal-free.
However, if my daughter decides to become a musician, I will approve but with my heart in my hands as this profession has a lot of temptations. It requires a lot of self-control which I have succeeded in doing so far.
Before I was pressured into becoming a musician, I had my life plan all set out. All I needed was to get my marketing degree, get a job, get married and have children, but life has taken a different twist now. I must say though that it is all exciting.
Indeed, even attitudes from the society for male musicians are usually very negative as very few people regard being employed as a musician as work.
They are worse when the musician happens to be a woman. A woman who sings in a band in Zimbabwe is usually perceived by our society as a “loose” or “easy” woman. This is not always true. Probably one of the big reasons is the way many women have been brought up at home and at school.
They have been encouraged to believe that men and women always do different things and that the best thing for women to do is to learn to cook and to look after children or perhaps train as a nurse, teacher and secretary. Singing in a band is regarded as a job for male vagrants and certainly not for decent women regardless of how talented they are in that area. It is a difficult misconception to dispel. Recently, many negative stories have been peddled about Tererai Mugwadi.
Although this does not give a positive image for female musicians, whatever crimes Tererai has committed could easily be committed by any other member of society who need not necessarily be a musician.
However, Cindy has proved them wrong. She is not one to be relegated to the kitchen. She says she is scandal-free. As her star keeps rising, she has also learnt self-control. She is indeed an inspiration to all young aspiring female musicians.
- Fred Zindi is a professor at the University of Zimbabwe. He is also a musician and an author of several books on music. He can be contacted via e-mail on [email protected]
Online Reporter