Exploring The Beautiful Sounds & Mind of Cindii M

A Daily Exclusive interview

Interview by DailyCapsule

Words by Roo

Imagery courtesy of Cindii M

Okay, what do we know about Cindii Masina? That’s a question we recently had to confront ourselves with not only as fans but as the self-proclaimed advocates of our local creatively-charged music culture that we present ourselves as being. Well, curiosity is about to kill this cat that’s for sure because here we are, finally about to find out…

So, what do we know about Cindii M, for real? Here’s a little history, our first official introduction of Cindii M came in through her ‘On It’ hitter of a beautiful song and that of course sparked a deeper interest to dive deeper through her catalog similar to the obsessive act of digging for gold or chasing a good dream you just had… She’s that good dream and she’s stellar. Long story short, we found a goldmine of earlier drops and we converted into fans, real quick.

Yeah, it wouldn’t be shameful of you to admit that singer/songwriter & producer, Cindii M, is probably a name you’ve come across either through word of mouth or some of the noticeable collaboration she’s been a part of with similar disruptive artists such her involvement on Steveisfrench’s November EP (shout-out ZRi. too) or that sweet-sounding ‘Submerged’ song with Yolophonik & Elizée. In the past year or so, Cindii M has made her presence known and it seems like the rest of South African is finally feeling it.

With a pretty substantial catalog of music that does more than enough to convince you of her talents currently out there on the net for anyone willing to lose themselves in or “dig hard enough for that gold”, Cindii M’s rise as a serious contender within our music scene is one we’re truly locking our eyes on because we don’t want to miss out on that breakthrough moment that is clearly up.

And, if you’re still reading this, firstly thank you and secondly we hope that our latest editorial interview encourages you to read! (we all gottta read more) and inspires you to just delve a little bit further on the experiences Cindii M is gifting the world through each song and the kind of artist she is blooming into.

In this interview we discuss topics such as the description of the type of music she makes, her most memorable moments thus far, what success looks like for her and more. Happy Friday.

– DailyCapsule.com

Before drafting these questions, we firstly wanted to experience our discovery of you all over again and so we spent some time on SoundCloud etc… Do you remember the feelings you got when you decided to become an artist?

I just woke up one day and decided to record a song on my phone and put it on SoundCloud with no intent, everything that followed (support from strangers, Instagram R&B pages and blogs featuring me) made me want to put out more of myself out there, so from there on, I then decided to be an artist. It was all so exciting but made me anxious because it felt like people were now really watching and critiquing, making me feel pressured to always deliver.

What is it about music that you love so much because it seems like this goes beyond just making songs that people will love for you?

My music and artistry are extremely sensitive to me, I mean look at a lot of iconic artists… They are all Gemini like me, your Kanye, Lauryn Hill, Tupac, Biggie (I’m sure you see the pattern with all of them), Geminis are sensitive and passionate about their art. It’s the only best way we can communicate our feelings because if we talk, we will come across misunderstood, so music is there for that. With this said, music is my journal and that’s why I love it.

When we found your YouTube tutorial and cover videos, that truly convinced us that your interest in sound creation goes deeper than just the performance. It’s poetic at times and can be vulnerable inducing the next… Can you talk a little bit about that early era (YouTube, making covers) for you and how it reinforced who you are today?

The reason why I started YouTube was really because I wanted to get noticed [laughs], I hadn’t decided what I wanted to do with my gift yet, my decision to start YouTube was also influenced by the fact that I grew up in a generation where famous artists got discovered on YouTube, nothing more. And with my tutorials, I guess it is because I did not only want to diversify my content on the platform, but I also wanted to help other small artists like me who don’t know where to start.

Your music is very distinctive in terms of the way its experience is curated, from the beat you use, the vocal performance approach and even the words you narrate, how would you describe the music that you typically create?

My music is basically emotions in music form, I can produce music that visually curate pictures of certain emotions. My music is basically adjectives.

Speaking of creation once again, what is your creative process like and what kind of conditions do you have to be in order for you to be in your best form creatively?

Well, I am an over-thinker so when I’m sober, I overthink the process, so when I want to be in my element, I always have wine next to me and then magic happens.

Right now I’m just focused on putting out quality and not rushing the process.

– Cindii M

We might be wrong about this but we sometimes get vintage feels within your music as if the sound was made for an earlier time even though the storytelling found within is relatable, what usually plays the role of the source of inspiration for you?

My source of inspiration are my experiences and artists that I look up to. I always go through my journal and relive those experiences then try put them in a song.

And can you describe your favorite and least favorite part about being an artist?

Favourite part of being an artist: Having to create music and put experiences that people relate to into a song, and you’re basically special because you are born with your life purpose right in front of you, you don’t have to figure what you can do in life.

The part I hate: Being emotional; feeling pressure from being watched and critiqued; that talent is not enough.

What’s your process for dealing with self-centered issues such as doubt, anxiety or even lack of inspiration, if that happens?

I don’t have a process of dealing with doubt and anxiety, I just accept the emotions and let them dwell until I feel like myself again. I never resist any emotion.

What’s been the most memorable moment of your career so far, and why?

I think finally getting recognised by people in public [laughs], it still blows my mind. To me, people online just feel like non-existent characters, so to see people show me love in person shocks me every time.

How would you say your music evolved since you dropped your first single?

My music has evolved more vocally, I’ve improved in terms of using my voice as an instrument and to produce.

Here’s a tough question. If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why? Name three artists only.

I’d like to collaborate with Monte Booker (because he was the first producer I actually vibed to on SoundCloud frequently).

Willow Smith (my favourite singer since I was 9, and her music was so well written even from a young age)

Kabomo (I mean come on, he gave us ‘Colour of you’ and he has been ahead of his time).

What are your thoughts on our local music scene right now (the good or bad)?

Mehh… Tbh I have nothing to say besides that its unfortunate that talent is not recognised. R&B is doing amazing though, its about to be a big deal right after Amapiano .

It’s quite clear that you’re constantly cooking music and we’re, of course, curious to find out if you can describe the current chapter that Cindii M is in personally or creatively?

Right now I’m just focused on putting out quality and not rushing the process.

What does success look like for you?

Success to me is waking up everyday and having the freedom to do what  you love when you feel like it, not because you have to.

Finally, If we were to introduce someone to your music, which project or song would you recommend they start with & why?

I would say they should start with ‘On It’. That’s my true love, I love everything about it, it represents me as who I am as an artist.

End