Cindy Sanyu On Her Fears, Feeling Accomplished, and Why She’s Always Speaking Up!

Cheer is one thing that has eluded us this year. But, Cindy Sanyu walks into the room looking more cheerful than ever! She greets everyone with her signature ear to ear smile, the one that featured extensively on posters some of us pinned on our walls back in our days in high school. No prima donna aura wafts off her, she’s just a normal girl, who happens to be making music for a living. The previous night, she had put on a ‘helluva’ of a performance during the virtual Nyege Nyege concert. She and her voice owned the stage for close to 90 minutes without a break – no theatrics, no fancy costume changes, just her voice. That’s what Cindy Sanyu is – a true performer! 

Cindy Sanyu’s name needs no introduction. A 15-year-long career, including a very successful stint with Blu*3, arguably the most successful all-girl music group to ever come from this part of the world. In 2008, when she got booted out of the group, she kicked off a solo career, that has seen her dominate Uganda’s music and entertainment industry year on year. This year, and just days to the national lockdown, Sanyu staged a concert that would later become the ‘biggest concert of the year’, the first female entertainer to do this. And this, she did without the support of a label, or a promoter. That’s what Cindy Sanyu is – when she takes a risk, it’ll be well-calculated one! 

She too can’t fathom how she’s managed to stay relevant for close to two decades, in an industry that’s male dominated, and where she’s only played against the rules of the game. It has to boil down to the kind of music she does, which I believe has something mystical about it; you feel her warmth and honesty through every lyric. “It’s what I feel. That’s why when you listen to my music you feel something, because I felt it before you did,” she tells me. 

After saying hello to everyone in the room, she’s guided into the makeup chair to prepare for what would end up being a 7-hour-long photo shoot. This photo shoot was a culmination of weeks of preparations, which started in mid October when budding designers Aliad Zoe and Yusmah Fashion were commissioned to design a sartorial representation of the singer.

During the glam session, she and I had a chat about her fears, feeling accomplished, and why she’s always speaking up. 

2020 has been a very confusing year! How has it been for you? 

Well, this year has actually been really good in so many ways. First of all, it started with a bang, I had the biggest concert – not just for me, but the biggest concert in the country! For me, that means a lot of things. I feel like I did that for women. We’ve always been scared of doing things this big, but this time we made it happen. 

After that, I had planned a country tour with my band but it didn’t happen because they locked us down two weeks later. So when the lockdown started, at first I was bored, I was used to my routine, but once I accepted that this is the situation now, I started to enjoy it. I cannot replace the moments I’ve spent with my daughter, with my mother and my family in general. This year I’ve managed to be a ‘proper mother’, which I used to struggle with, because I didn’t have the time! My daughter was beginning to be a stranger to me, she was starting to sound like somebody else because I wasn’t there all the time. I’ve spent time with her and created that bond and I’m starting to understand who she is because she is my child, you know? 

A blessing in disguise…

It has been a real blessing! I haven’t been able to do that since 2005. Because that’s when Blu*3 started. There was no time, when I started I started, and I’ve been at it since. The other time I got a break was when I was pregnant, that’s when I took like a year off. But after that, it has just been work work work for me.  

I also got time to spend with my fiance, which I never really got to do. Since I met him I’ve been on the road, and we would have to create moments while I’m working, while he’s working. But this time we got to sit together and understand each other, enjoy our moments together. Those have been my blessings. Also, living in my faith in a way, because you use your money, you spend and ask “God, what’s going to happen tomorrow,” you know? So it has drawn me closer to my family, to God, to my child, all those things that are important. 

You got engaged too! 

Another highlight, because the last time I was in love was about 4 years ago, and it was over-publicized. We hated it. When we broke up, I realised that I needed to give myself time to get over the father of my child. I didn’t give myself that time, but after that relationship, I decided to chill out and let love find me as opposed to me looking for it. I took a couple of years off and then I met Prynce!

It seems like you found true love. You even did a song about him!

It feels like it! It does. I know people say all relationships are like that, but as a woman you have to give yourself the chance every time. You can’t let past relationships or heartbreaks limit you the next time you feel like you’ve found love. In this relationship I feel like I’ve changed the game totally.

How? 

Before, I never let the man in my life get into my life. I’d create a Cindy for them. I’d create a Cindy who is free during weekdays when I’m not working. But this is the first time my man went on tour with me, to see my world and how rough it gets, the good and the bad things. He has seen me argue with promoters, and all those things. Sometimes you meet with promoters and managers who want to sleep with you, he has seen me go through all that. I feel like it’s a better relationship because of that, he understands exactly what he’s getting into. We’ve been together for the last 4 years, because I wanted him to get to know who I am. I’ve never done that. Even with the father of my child, we were together 10 years, but he only knew the Cindy he saw at home, he didn’t know the full me. I said you know what, since this didn’t work out, lemme try and flip the game a little bit, and that’s why I feel like this is it because he knows me and he loves that, so I feel safer. 

And then the ‘Boom Party’ concert? 

(laughs) I still cannot answer that question! Actually that was only the beginning, because we were planning a tour all over the country with my band. It was going to be successful I’m confident.

Yes, I think so! The hype from Kampala created hype everywhere, so I think it would have been a successful tour. But I feel accomplished, I’ve worked too hard to get where I am, I have worked really hard, and cannot even say what helped me get here, but somehow we got here, somehow it happened! 

This was the first time I was like wowww. We made the money, we made the name, I feel accomplished. It has been a hard journey. You know, when I said I was going to do the concert, most people wrote me off. That no woman can fill up that venue. 

Because you’re aren’t under a label..

I’m not! I have a team, you see my people they are right there (she points at her two assistants). Even when we were discussing this, I was speaking directly to all of you, no middleman. 

Out of experience, all successful artists have managers behind them making things happen. 

As an artist, I’ve tried managers. I have, but our dreams are usually not aligned. Along the way, I realised this person has a certain idea of who they want me to be. And that’s not who I want to be, and somehow we end up going separate ways. It’s not like I was like “I can do this on my own I don’t need anyone”. No!  I didn’t find anyone who believed in my dreams as a person. I’ve found people who wanted to mould me into what they think can sell. 

Money making machines…

Exactly, people want to use you like a sack of salt. Carry it here, carry it there. And my career is because I love to sing, not because I’m looking for money. I’m lucky that I get to make money out of it. Of course, I enjoy the money and the business part of it, but what drives me is my passion. When I get management it’s no longer about passion, it’s business. 

People want to hear about love it doesn’t matter if you’re heartbroken, you have to sing about love. If people in town are tallking about politics, it doesn’t matter if personally you are going through other struggles which you would want to sing about, no you have to talk about politics because that’s what sells. As an artist, you sort of sell your soul in that way that it’s no longer about you messaging your truth, it’s about what the manager wants to sell. And I don’t want that ever. I told myself that I’d rather be broke and free, than rich and a slave. That is how I ended up not having a manager! 

And then everyone thought because of that, you weren’t going to triumph..

(laughs) I stopped listening to TVs and radios during that time, because that’s what everyone was saying. I didn’t approach any promoter, I called Balam and asked him “how do I do a show of my own?”. 

I asked him “mpa ku magezi njagala kukola show” (Give me some advice I’d like to organize my own show). I didn’t tell him nkolela show (organize for me a show).

His answer was: 

“First of all believe in yourself. Whatever we do, we’re also human beings like you. If you want to do this, work hard and you’ll do it. It’s just that artists don’t want to work hard, they want someone else to do all the slaving, then show up on stage and slay it. You’re going to have to put in a lot of work, but it’s nothing you can’t do!”

There aren’t many Cindy Sanyus out there. What advice do you give an artist whose dream is to get where you are?

It’s an illusion that you need a manager, it’s an illusion that you need a promoter! People do that because they want to make money out of you. They need jobs so they make you feel inadeqate so that they can come in and fill in that space and then you pay them. The fact is: You can do it. The thing is, how? 

Find out how you can do whatever, and know your people. Who are your people and where do they hang out? Approach them directly and break that gap. I can’t say it’s easy, and I didn’t figure it out just like that. If I knew this 10 years ago, maybe I would have done Boom Party 10 years ago, you know? I just got to learn with time. Know your people. Stop hiding behind showbiz and stardom, it’s an illusion. You hide behind it so much you start to think that’s what you are. You hide behind the makeup and the theatrics and the clothes, and you forget that you are flesh and blood. The people who come to your concert want to feel a connection to you. They don’t want to feel like they are coming to watch a god or something, No! 

A lot of artists are all over Facebook showing how beautiful they are, and yes people like it, yes they love the pictures, but they don’t feel the connection, which is in the real flesh and blood, the human being, which is the connection they desire. True, it takes a while, something a lot of young artists don’t want to cultivate. They want to get famous tomorrow, so if you want the levels like mine or other artists like me, you have to give it time. My journey has been 15 years, and that’s how I got to where I am. The consistency to stay on the track works. 

Then there’s the shortcut, get a manager, let them paint you and do whatever they want to do, and you’ll be a star tomorrow. I can’t stop people from doing that either. If you want to do it the short way then do that, get a manager, a sponsor, and let them make you into something plastic and send it to people. But if you want to be real, give it time! 

You’ve had a fair share of controversy especially due to some comments you have made. Is it ever intentional? Forexample what happened prior to your concert. 

No, there is this thing that artists do. They get so big that they think nobody should say anything negative about them, even when it’s true. They will call that ‘hate’ yet it’s actually criticism or honest opinion. Right now, when you try to tell an artist you’re doing this wrong, they say that’s a hater, when it’s just not the truth. 

It was not about my concert at all, it was a real thing. I was angry! When I wrote the so called ‘beef’ song, I didn’t do it to sell. I didn’t even know it would sell, because women have never beefed in this industry. I sang about it because it was real, that’s how I felt at the time. I was surprised that people actually liked it, I thought they would hate me. It was personal for me because I knew her personally. This wasn’t just some industry person, she was my student for a year, and I mentored her. For her whole team to come at me like that, it was personal. It was not business at all, the fact that it made business was just a plus, but I didn’t care. Like, you can go against anybody else, but not me, I mentored you! 

Have you been able to mend this relationship? 

No, when I was doing the Boom Party Concert, I approached her management about her performing, and they said no. It was a straight NO. So I was like, okay. Not every relationship has to be mended. It is more important for her to get the message than for the relationship to be mended. 

This is an unforgiving business; how have you been able stay focused? 

First I have to say God is great, sometimes I have to sit there and wonder why, and the other thing is I stayed original to this day, I write my music. I don’t care if it trends, I don’t care if now the wave is to copy Nigerians, or whatever. No! I sing what moves me as a human being. Even when I don’t have a hit, I have music which isn’t like everyone else’. So you’ll play all the bubble gum, and when you’re done with it you will come to me because I’m original.

You will always come back to that originality. That is me. Original music is authentic, it’s real, it’s what I feel. That’s why when you listen to my music you feel something, because I felt it before you did. Because I write my music, I’m connecting a feeling to you not just fluff. First it has to touch me before it touches you. It’s a real thing. 

Also, I’m always on the lookout for what is new, what people are about. I was telling the makeup artist that I hate watching music, because it makes me think. Ideas of creating something better always pop up. 

I’ve also stayed close to my family. Family is real with you, they will tell you the truth. When you work within the industry people will tell you you’re the best even when you’re falling, literally on the ground. They will tell you you’re the best because you’re paying them. Yet your career is going to the dogs, but family will tell you facts. My family is like that, I hate them for it but I love them for it, they’re ruthless! 

You say you feel accomplished, is there anything else you feel like if you got it, it would be it for you? 

It’s an empty space where I am, because when you work so hard to get to a point and you finally get there, it’s so hard to get inspiration to move forward. Because everyday you’re like ‘that’s impossible, I can’t get there, lemme do this, lemme work hard.’ Then suddenly it’s like boom, it has happened! So now I’m like… I need the next inspiration. That’s where I am, it’s empty, it’s lonely. That’s where I am and I need to find a way to move from there. 

You talked about spending more time with your daughter, what kind of mother are you? 

I’d say I’m freestyle. I’m freestyle because I go with her pace. I don’t react quickly to things depending on her. When I was young all of us got the same punishment but we were not all the same people. The same punishment might work for one child and absolutely traumatize the other, then another child will be broken hearted, and yet another would learn. So you have to ask, who is your child? How to discipline them according to who they are. That’s why I say I’m a freestyle mother, I go with the flow. I am more interested in being my daughter’s friend than being a mother. I want to be the person she calls when she is confused. I don’t want her to feel like mummy will judge me or that I’ll beat her. I want her to come to me. That’s the relationship I want. 

Is daddy involved?

Daddy is 100% involved. I’ve been really lucky with her father, because he loves her with everything that he’s got. I’ve been really lucky that he doesn’t disturb, we sit down and decide what we are going to do. If she does something outrageous, he calls and we discuss how to play good cop/bad cop and all. I’m really lucky in that area.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cindy Sanyu (@cindysanyu)

Do you see a mini-Cindy in her? 

She is an amazing singer, it scares me! I hear her voice and I’m like OMG… she’s young, she’s confident, she’s a go getter. When I was young I was shy, and things like that kept me in my studies because I was like ‘I’m not a star’ but at her age she is a star, she is treated like it, even at school. I’m scared of how she’ll use that power, because she’s too young to understand it. Now that I’m grown, I know how to use my celebrity in the right way, with the right channels, but she’s 9. I’m scared about how she will use it. You can totally go left with that power. There, I don’t know how, but I want to find a way to tame it,  because she is a really good singer. 

Would you let her into this industry? 

I think I would, but not independently like I did. Because I know what the industry is like, I know what it’s capable of. I’d love to shield her if she would give me at least 10 years and then let her be. I’d love to work with her and help her for at least 10 years, teach her the art and everything and then let her fly on her own. Like Beyonce’s father, how he mentored her and let her go finally. Though she had to fire him, I don’t know what happened. I want her to just grow out of my protection and slowly get into herself. I’m hoping that God is as gracious to her as He has been to me, because there are things in my life I cannot believe I didn’t get into like drugs and all that. Especially from my own team, Jackie got really affected by it and is still struggling. I’m grateful for the chance I have got, and I’m just hoping my daughter would be safe. The industry is full of men who want to take advantage of you because of your talent and beauty, it’s full of people who want to put you down every day because you’re a woman, the competition, it’s crazy, it can make someone lose their mind. That’s what I’m scared of. 

Lastly, it’s a bit of a slippery ground to talk politics in this country, and yet you have been very open about your views using platforms such as Instagram.

When I look at politics I wish I didn’t have a child, I’d speak more because then, I’d have nothing to lose. I’d not care about the repercussions, but I have a daughter, I want her to go to school tomorrow. I don’t want her to find dead bodies on the streets. Like all that, I don’t want her to go through the trauma of a war, that’s why I go slow when it comes to politics. Of course I have a side and by now people know what side I’m on. It’s a little too obvious that by now Uganda needs a change. 

To me. It is desperate, even a child can see, that there is desperate need for it. I feel like if we don’t get it we are headed towards disruption. That’s a fact, but I also have a daughter. My decisions can become a problem for her. I can always protect me, but not always protect her. Politics is so personal that they can even hurt your child to get to you. On one side I want peace, on the other side I want change. When war comes to this country I can run or fight but what about my little daughter? That is my confusion. I feel like if we kept quiet and just voted, and showed all our anger on the votes, and then after that whatever happens happens. If there’s peace, then well and good, but in my heart, that’s what I want. I don’t want people to think I’m insensitive. I’m just scared as a mom, not as Cindy. As the king herself, I’m good to go tomorrow. But I have to think about her!

Early this week, Sanyu took to her social accounts to call out Nigerian stars Omah Lay & Tems for holding a concert in Kampala during a time when no Ugandan artiste isn’t permitted to hold such an event, as part of the measures spelt out by the Ministry of Health to curb the spread of Covid-19. Her comments were received with fury from Nigerians on social media, setting the internet ablaze. I reached out to her with another question.

The whole of Nigeria is livid because of what you said. Where do you draw the zeal and openess to be this vocal? And not be cowed by the controversy that might arise from it.

My father died when I was two, and then I grew up with my mother, who is from Teso. If any of you knows ‘Bateso’, you’ll agree with me that we’re very blunt and straight when it comes to voicing our opinions. I got it from my mother, she’s very vocal and always stays truthful to who she is no matter what it’ll cost her. I’ve seen her fight for her truth all my life. So, I’d like to say that that zeal and openness comes from how I was brought up. And then, it also comes from the fact that I live in the community, I don’t live far away from people. Whatever affects them might not affect me directly, but I cannot blind myself to it when I see it happen. In the beginning I used to, but as I grew up, I realized that you cannot stay blind for too long. You have to accept, at a certain point, that you have the responsibility to, in this country and world as a human being, to make change, because keeping quiet has never changed anything.

Gowns: Aliad Zoe & Yusmah Fashion 

Makeup: Vanny Glam 

Hair: @Msatai 

Photographed by Mark Bwiire (@soul_image_art) 

satisfashionug@gmail.com