As you may have heard, the flamboyant Cinderella Sanyu recently left the Ugandan group, Blu3. Her Mbikooye single has been doing really well. We caught up with her to ask her about life after Blu3. She drives a manual car, and there's more to find out about her in this interview. I believe she should also blog or write, she has quite an interesting personality and I say it in a good way.

Museke.com: How are you?
Cindy: Am good thanks

Museke.com: Can you tell us about your background and family?
I was born in Masindi to the late Mr. Muyonjo and Mrs. Angela Muyonjo on the 28th of August, 1985. Am the 4th born in a family of 7. I have 4 sisters and 2 brothers.

Museke.com: How did you get into music and what was your first break?
Cindy: I’ve been singing since I was six, in church and school. My first break came when I joined the Blu3 in 2005 after we won the Coca Cola Pop Stars competition in Uganda. Before that I’d participated in a local competition called the Coca Cola Real Stars but I didn’t win. I was the 3rd placed and the best among the gals.

Museke.com: How did the 3 Black ladies come together?
Cindy: The judges in the Coca Cola Pop Stars put us together, they thought the 3 of us could make a great group and they were right after all.

Museke.com: How was the Coca cola pop-stars experience?
Cindy: Wonderful, it was fun. It was busy but really fun. We had a lot of work to do in such a short time but also lots of money to spend in such a short time. We toured a lot but I won’t forget Suncity, it still replays in my mind. It was amazing, you should see it. We worked only with the best. People who we only saw in magazines. It was nice seeing and actually talking to them. We also did a great album, Hitaji.

Museke.com: Which African musicians did you listen to growing up?
Cindy: Angelique Kidjo, Miriam Makeba, Chaka Chaka and Pamela Nkutha

Museke.com: Which foreign musicians did you listen to growing up?
Cindy: Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Puff Johnson. Alicia Keys and India arie came later.

Museke.com: Which African musicians do you idolize or admire (presently)?
Cindy: I admired Brenda Fassie a lot, God bless her soul. I don’t idolize any one, I want to be Cindy. Me. I like Mercy Maira of Kenya a lot though.

Museke.com: Your first Blu3 album featured a lot of Swahili lyrics. What was the thinking behind that?
Cindy: International, that was where we wanted to go and all we could think of.

Museke.com: You got to tour a lot of African countries with the buzz created from your album and status of pop-stars. How did people receive your music especially in places where the languages spoken were different and people were not used to African pop-stars/R&B singers?
Cindy: It’s music and there’s no African who doesn’t understand music regardless of the language. We always had to explain but they didn’t care. They would just go nanana…..nana and it was great.

Museke.com: How different was the second Blu3 album from the first one?
Cindy: Very different. Just listen to it because I can’t really explain it, I can tell that the music grew with us. We did more meaningful music, the message was deeper. Even our voices were so much better coz we had sung for longer. We also did a lot of the local type of music. It was challenging especially for Lillian and Jacki considering their local accent and we all speak too much English but thank God the Burrn album was complete after all.

Museke.com: Why is the original Blu3 no more?
Cindy: Because one of the members, me, was fired. I was given a time limit to get back to the country and I could not keep it so they fired me.

Museke.com: How is life after Blu3? Are you more in the media spotlight now?
Cindy: Life as always has its ups and down but generally, am happy with where, who and what I am now. I’m definitely more in the limelight now. I seem to be a target now.

Museke.com: What kind of music do you do?
Cindy: I don’t have a type of music. My music is what and how I feel and as that changes so does my music. I’m excited, I feel like a child who has moved outta home so am trying out all I can. Will let you know when I decide on a particular style of music to do.

Museke.com: What is the inspiration for the songs you write?
Cindy: Me and everything around me. I write about whatever.

Museke.com: Tell us about your new album. What is the name and what should your fans expect?
Cindy: I don’t have a name for my album as yet but am working on that. Expect to be shocked. U DON’T KNOW!

Museke.com: Brenda Fassie, Angelique Kidjo or Miriam Makeba?
Cindy: Brenda’s music, Kidjo’s personality and Makeba’s fame.

Museke.com: Which musicians would you love to collaborate with?
Cindy: Juakali and Wahu(Kenya), Juma Nature and Banana Zorro(TZ),Irene Namubiru, Juliana, Bobiwine and Cute Kaye (UG). Outside East Africa would be Dbanj or 9ice (Nigeria), Wutah(Ghana)etc

Museke.com: Tell us about the collaboration with P-Square. How did it happen and what is it about?
Cindy: We met in UG in 2007 when I was in Blu3 and we became friends. When we were in Nigeria, we would hang out so when they came to Uganda and listened to some of my music they thought it was tight and like that, we went to Washington at Black Hole records and did the song. It’s a great dancehall track and I know my fans, even the haters will love it. We wrote it together so it’s their flavour and mine put together, blazing hot.

Museke.com: We’ve seen you with gold dyed hair. Do you think musicians need to carve a different image to stand out, and does it help their career?
Cindy: It works for some artists sometimes but I did it coz am stubborn, just like doing stuff wit my hair. I don’t think I can handle having A LOOK like most artists. It bores me.

Museke.com: Uganda seems to have a very vibrant music industry, what are the challenges a Ugandan musician faces?
Cindy: First of all, we get a lot of mediocre artists, people who think anyone can sing as long they dish out money to DJs to play their music. We’ve got to have respect for music and talent. It’s annoying and its keeping the industry in one place. And piracy, God help us.

Museke.com: Have you been approached by foreign labels?
Cindy: Not yet.

Museke.com: How are you juggling your music career and school?
Cindy: At the moment, am not at school, am practicing fashion and design at Kyaligonza fashion house so I don’t have to sit in some classroom. Now I can learn as I work. I love it.

Museke.com: What is your take on piracy and paying DJs to promote your music?
Cindy: I hate it. It’s theft and all the criminals should be jailed.

Museke.com: How can Ugandan music expand and sell outside?
Cindy: Through the internet, that’s the easiest way but Ugandans should do more outside tours so they get known, that also means we should sing more (in) English.

Museke.com: What is the future of your music?
Cindy: I’ll know when I get there.

Museke.com: Do you have any present engagements and works other than music?
Cindy: I’ve been asked to act in a movie and am considering it. Fashion is taking a lot of my time as well.

Museke.com: What is one interesting thing about you that some of us fans don’t know?
Cindy: I drive a manual car.

Museke.com: You have some really nice pictures on Face book. Are you interested in modeling?
Cindy: Ya, only if it has good money. I’ve heard too many bad stories about modeling.

Museke.com: What are your hobbies and pastimes?
Cindy: Music, movies especially animated ones, books, friends and partying.

Museke.com: Do you have a website?
Cindy: You can reach me on my Myspace or on Facebook. Am working on a website.

Museke.com: Give us your Parthian shot (last words).
Cindy: Am not dying so these are NOT my last words. Thanks.

Museke.com: Thank you Cindy!

Note: All Cinderella Sanyu pictures/pics/photos are from Cindy Sanyu's Myspace