Singer Cynthia Morgan is signed to the Okoyes’ Square records. She tells Ademola Olonilua about her fashion sense and nude pictures online
You have a gun tattooed on your hand. What does it mean?
Basically, guns symbolise violence but my tattoo represents violence in terms of my music. It does not symbolise violence in terms of my personality but in terms of music. It means that when you hear Cynthia Morgan, you hear trouble because when you hear a gunshot, you take cover. It means there is trouble somewhere. I am different. Some girls do tattoos of rose or butterflies, but when I was doing mine, I decided to be different. I decided to put a picture of a gun.
How about piercings; do you have any?
I used to have one but I covered it because I got tired of it. It used to be on my lips.
Being a fair-skinned lady with an accent, do people often ask about where you come from?
Yes, people ask me that question a lot. Different people have different thoughts about my origin. Most people say I look Arabian but I am a Nigerian. I am from Benin City in Edo State.
Are you actually light-skinned or you are bleaching?
I am light-skinned.
You were born this way?
No, I was not this fair. I became light-skinned when I was growing up. As I grew up, I had to take care of my skin. I am not using anything and as a matter of fact, I am using cocoa-butter cream.
When it comes to your body, what part do you consider as an asset?
I think that would either be my height or my boobs. I am about 6 feet tall.
How come you have nude pictures online?
I think it is a creative picture. In the picture, I only had my tattoos showing and I was wearing sneakers. It was an idea that I came up with and I said I wanted to wear only sneakers in the picture because all the previous shots we had taken were very girly. I was unable to express the fact that I still had a little part of me that was still a tomboy.
That is why you wore only sneakers in the picture?
Yes. Then I had the tattoo; so it takes you back to the fact that I still have that tomboy in me. I was not born wearing clothes.
Seems that you are really crazy about sneakers?
Yes I am. I really love shoes, especially sneakers. I cannot count how many pairs I have. If not for my manager, I probably would have a room full of sneakers. She tells me that I have to wear heels. Although I am tall, I still wear high-heeled shoes. I know people taller than me that wear high-heeled shoes. I got used to wearing heels so I reduced the way I wear sneakers. If not, I would have had a room full of sneakers by now.
How long does it take you to shop?
It could take a whole day because whenever I shop, I want to buy everything. Most times, I need someone like a guardian to advise me against some items. If not, I would buy everything; I am that crazy about fashion. When I am going out, I have a picture of what I want to look like. I get excited when I get something new and when I wear it, I dump it. Left to me, I want to buy everything.
How much do you spend on shopping?
I don’t know but what I know is that I can use my last dime to buy a cloth.
What defines your fashion sense?
For me, it is all about being comfortable. It is all about being able to pull off anything I am wearing. When you wear something, you have to put your presence in it. You have to be charismatic in anything you wear to make it come alive. I think fashion is personal and you have to be charismatic and comfortable. You have to be bold to make a fashion statement because fashion is about creating a trend and making people follow such trends. For you to create something that people would follow, you have to be bold and have a presence for people to be able to follow your trend and what you are doing.
What trend are you trying to create?
I am trying to create the Cynthia Morgan trend which is all about being different. From my music, you can see that I am different because it is distinct. I am not trying to be a Nicki Minaj, Rihanna or Lady Gaga; I am Cynthia Morgan. I am trying to be sexy and at the same time be like the girl next door, a brand that people can relate with.
How long does it take you to do your make-up?
It depends. If my manager is doing my make-up for me, it could take up to 45 minutes but if it is professional, then it could take about two hours. If I am on set or having a photo shoot, it could take as long as two hours. It depends. I am really fast at wearing clothes. I don’t have a problem with wearing clothes.
You keep saying your music is different. How do you mean?
My music is distinct because I have fusions of different genres; I do reggae dancehall, hip-hop, afro-beat. I bring all these genres together and create something different. I use my music to make a statement; I use it to be different from every other person. For example, Drake does virtually everything, except reggae and dancehall songs. My manager says that I am like the female Drake but the difference is that he does not do dancehall songs. I can do everything. My music does not have a genre, so I tell people that I do good music.
Don’t you wish you were more rounded to increase your sex appeal?
I have boobs and my ‘behind’ is okay for me. What I have is enough for me. I don’t wish they were bigger.
You were a tomboy while growing up, but looking at you now, it is hard to believe. What led to your change of orientation?
I used to be a tomboy while growing up until some years back when I changed and stopped being a tomboy and had to wear female clothes. I think staying with my cousins changed me. They were very feminine. I did not change till I got signed to my first record label, before I got signed to Jude Okoye. The owner of the record label used to tell me that I have everything as a girl; the height and good looks and I should consider dressing like a girl. I tried it out, started looking like a girl and I must confess I really like being a girl. I cannot consider being a tomboy again. I could look like one while going to the studio because I would like to be free and be in my element. I could wear bathroom slippers to the studio because being free helps my creative process.
How did you meet Jude Okoye?
First time I met him was in Atlanta, USA in 2012. Basically, I met P-Square although Peter was not there. It was like meeting family members because they had been my fans since 2009. I remember they went on air to announce that they were looking for Cynthia and they would love to do a song with me. They said I was very talented and they had been supporting my career without even meeting or knowing me. They loved my kind of music and were interested in what I could bring to the table. Finally I got to meet them in 2012 and it was great. When we met, Paul found it hard to believe I was Cynthia Morgan and we were both star struck. I was shocked that they were star struck when they met me. Paul had to ask me to remove my glasses so he could see my face. They have been my mentors because I grew up listening to them. That was how I met Jude and from there we became both friends and family. Before I knew it, he said he was interested in signing me and that is how we started a working relationship.
How has it been working with the Okoyes?
It has been great. They are family and Jude is like a father. He is a very loving man and he has been really great to me. Knowing that I have the biggest brand in Africa behind me has helped my growth. Looking up to them and knowing how far they have gone in their career has really helped me.
Did the whole ruckus in their family affect your work?
Everything is fine with P-Square, so nothing is affecting my career.
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