Cynthia Ikponmwenosa Morgan is a fast-rising dancehall artiste who isn’t afraid to flaunt her sensuality. The svelte diva signed to Jude Okoye’s North Side Entertainment has been getting buzz from her hit song:’Don’t Break My Heart’ .In this engaging interview, she opens up to Showtime Celebrity on the inspiration behind her hit song, why she took raunchy pictures, whether she can go nude in a music video or not, and a whole lot of other issues.
How has your music journey been so far?
It’s been great and challenging. As a woman in a male dominated industry in Nigeria, I will say it’s been pretty challenging. But in the long run it’s great. It’s working out and fruitful, so, it’s been great so far. It’s something daring but I’m happy about the fact that I gave it a try and I’m proud of myself. Professionally, I started when I was seventeen. I did my first collaboration with General Pype when I was seventeen years. I also featured alongside Jhybo when I was nineteen in 2009/2010.I am 22 now.
With the influx of female artistes in the Nigerian music scene , what will you be doing differently?
For me, the kind of music I do is something distinct. Personally, I am an artiste with distinction right from when I started.I have never been compared to anybody in Africa or in Nigeria. It’s one thing to be a female, and it’s another thing hustling and doing your music like a female. The sky is wide enough for everybody to fly .
It’s all about hard work, knowing what you want, knowing your kind of sound , knowing that you have to be different and not follow new trends .You have to be a pacesetter , not following people. It’s not about being put in a box because I am a female, it’s just about being good at what you do as an artiste and being able to compete with the male folks in the industry. It’s not a gender thing.
What inspired your song ‘Don’t break my heart’?
Writing a song can sometimes be personal, just as it can be about the environment .The angle I wrote the song from is that of an African woman in love, but giving a warning, saying you are everything to me, but don’t break my heart. It’s a song that people do love because it connects with everybody. If you are in a relationship, the first thing that comes to your head is that I don’t want this person to mess up. I don’t want to put my heart into it. I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to do that. It’s a common thing . But the depth in the song brought the whole message out. It’s about an African woman who is happily in love and who doesn’t want to be heart-broken.
So have you never been heartbroken?
Yes I have, the song is also inspired by my tale of heartbreak and other people’s tale of heartbreaks as well.I have experienced it and others have experienced it too, so it was just amazing creating a song around it.
Can you quit music for your relationship?
For me, it’s a no! This is because , definitely I am going to get married to someone who understands my passion for music. I am not ready to get married yet. I can’t even think about that right now .Marriage is out of it .I think it’s about getting married to someone that understands your craft , supports you generally in your music career .I hope for a husband that will understand and support my craft, not one that would want me to stop music. So that’s what I hope for.
What inspired your recent raunchy photo shoots ?
Personally for an artiste, besides music,you have to be creative when it comes to your branding, your pictures, your performances and stage craft. Pictures are part of the things that brand an artiste. A lot of people say different kind of stuffs, but when you start something in Nigeria or in Africa, people start talking. We are in 21st century and Nigeria is not like America.
We still have this mentality of ‘Oh my God, she is exposing a whole lot of stuffs’ but when American artistes do it, we get to embrace them. I think it’s all about you starting your own trend, people will definitely talk, some people will love it while some will hate it .It’s all about you knowing what you see as an artiste.
When I create a song , I can actually create the video in my head. So, it’s all about the craft and the branding .I wasn’t actually nude, I was wearing a tattoo and a pair of snickers. It’s just about being different and people are definitely going to talk. It’s part of the whole business. If they don’t talk, you don’t make money. So they just have to keep talking.
So, how do you react to negative comments about you on the social media?
If a fan bullies me, I bully back if I am in the mood. If you go through my Twitter page and you tell me what I do is crap , I will be like:’ Is that why we are here?’.
If you bully me, I bully back. That’s how it is. There are some people who go online trying to just make you feel bad about yourself and about your music but as an artiste, you just have to be very prepared .It happens all over the world even in America. I am a bully too. You bully me, if I am in the mood, I bully you back. That’s how it works.
Can you go nude in a music video if the concept warrants it?
It’s a craft and it’s all about your performance. It’s just a performance if I have to go nude. Yes, definitely .It’s all about the performance. It’s about acting . It’s my job to actually do whatever fits into whatever I’m doing. If a director comes and say :”You know what? You are going to go nude and shoot a video like this”, you know that’s what makes you an artiste. That is what makes you an exceptional artiste. So it’s fine.
Does that mean you will do it?
Yes! It’s a performance shoot, but I don’t see myself doing any nude video though. I am just saying if the situation demands that I do it, yes, I will. Rihanna goes nude too. That’s why you are called a performing artiste.
What are your favourite qualities in a man?
For me, he has to be rich. There just has to be a connection between the both of us .He has to be fond of me, we have to be compartible. He has to have a good sense of humour and must be presentable.
Can you tell us about your physical assets:what you consider as the sexiest part of your body?
That will be my height,my boobs and my nose.
There is an allegation that you are using Dencia Whitenicious .
It’s not true .It’s one of the craziest things I have heard about myself. No, I am not usingWhitenicious.
A picture surfaced online where your pictures were blended together. In one of the pictures, you were darker and now you are lighter, what do you have to say about that?
What I will love to say about that is that in life people grow and change with time .For example, I was born with a talent and over the years, I improved on the talent. For me, I grew up, then I was very young and I was even a tomboy and don’t even think I used cream .
I grew up and I am lighter .People don’t look the way they looked five-six years ago. If you still look like that, then you have a problem and that could mean you are not growing. It’s either you are fatter, slimmer , lighter or darker or have a pot belly. People grow.
Who is your celebrity crush?
That will be Davido, because for me he is hardworking. Over the years he has been able to prove himself that he is talented and not all about being just a rich kid and I think he is cute too.
What if he asks you out and says he loves you?
Cool, but because I have a crush on him doesn’t mean I want to have a relationship with him .But if he says :’Oh my God! I love you.’ We can work something out. Vanguard
