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FAME can easily mask a darker past.
The glitz, glamour and camera flashes dominate the public’s imagination and we often do not see beyond this glare.
For instance, would you believe that the diva that is Cynthia Mare today started working at the age of 17, pulling off 12-hour shifts, five to six times a week, in the United Kingdom?
She was to be nicknamed the singing nurse, since she used to sing for the kids that were under her watch as a paediatric nurse.
These gruelling shifts were her life for close to seven years, before she quit and turned to her passion – music.
“I used to work a lot and in a week I could work for up to 70 hours, which was really hard during the first days since I would be standing all the time, but then I got used to it as time went on,” reveals Cynthia.
With time she started reducing her shifts to accommodate her music.
Many artistes, like Neyo and Kerry Hillson, started as songwriters before trying out their luck behind the microphone. So did Cynthia.
“I met people who were doing music and I started writing songs for other artistes. One of my singles ‘Catch Me When I Fall’
is a song I had originally written for Alesha Dixon but her record label turned it down so I ended up recording it.”
Her father was not keen on her pursuing a music career and when she resolved this was the path for her, she moved out of her parents’ house.
“When I was young I didn’t go out much because my dad was very strict and the fact that he didn’t want me to do music I had to do it in secret during the first days. I only got to tell my dad about my music career after I had already qualified as a nurse when I was now working and living by myself.”
Although, it took a while to convince her parents, the awards started coming in and she became the pride of the family.
Cynthia confesses that being an artiste and fitting in the celebrity world in Western countries is not an easy task as industry demands are very high.
“When I was in the UK I would go to the gym a lot. I was very slim and conscious of my body because I realised that singers that side are slim but since I came back to Zimbabwe I have embraced my body with all its curves,” she beams.
After coming back to Zimbabwe under unfortunate circumstances when her mother passed on, she decided to quit her job in the UK to pursue music full-time. Cynthia has made the transition from R&B to Afro-pop without much of a struggle and she has proven her worth on the local music scene by accumulating several gongs, including three Zimbabwe Music Awards, as well as being named a Gtel brand ambassador. Although, she claims she is yet to make it, the ground she has covered so far tells a totally different story. The ever cheerful superstar seems to be enjoying her life in the motherland and does not regret making the decision to move back permanently.
“I think that my music actually developed when I came back here so I believe my moving back home was God’s plan.”
There is time to indulge in hobbies, which include fitting in a movie every week.
“Besides movies, I also like football and there is a team which is not in the premier league that I really love, Hartley Football Academy.”
The singer says she loves kids, though plans of settling down are far down the road. And despite her striking beauty, Cynthia is single.
“I haven’t met the right guy yet because I have realised that most guys these days are not serious.”
Cynthia has dreams to see a transformation of the local music landscape. She believes that the major challenge local artistes face today is funding and support from the public.
Online Reporter