I’m Not Mrs. Okuyo on Stage” – Cindy Sanyu on Why She Kept Her Name

Musician Cindy Sanyu has opened up about why she doesn’t include her husband’s name in her brand, despite being legally married.

Cindy and Prynce Joel Okuyo officially walked down the aisle in 2021. Just as many expected her to add her husband’s name, the dancehall star has maintained her identity.

During her TV interview, she explained that she did so to separate her brand from her personal life, treating the two as completely different worlds.

Cindy added that she had worked hard for her name, which she said had not only become her legacy but something to build and hold on to. With this, she didn’t want anything affecting her sole entitlement to it (brand). When she steps on stage, Cindy says she is a brand in her own right, and she has continued to grow regardless of who she is with or the personal changes she undergoes.

“The brand Cindy is not a family thing but a personal thing. I separate Cindy from everything. The Cindy you see on stage grows and develops on her own, regardless of who is around her. Everything may change, but Cindy still goes on. I learnt how to separate the King Herself from Mrs. Okuyo, from Mummy Lina, and Amani. All that is different. When I get home, the person you see won’t be there. I’m different. This has helped me walk alone as a brand; I’m not affected either way, and when I’m a mummy, I am on my own. I have these personalities depending on where I am, so that I can protect the brand, Cindy.

When she is at home, however, Cindy says she handles her job as a mother and a wife very well. Being a star before the public doesn’t exempt her from her duties as a married woman, and she has been able to balance both perfectly.

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“When I’m with my children, I’m not a star. I do not even do hair or makeup to hang out with my children. I’m with my kids, and it doesn’t matter. You might find me at my worst, dressed poorly and walking on my feet with my children,”

Cindy also spoke out against celebrities who have abandoned their own brand names in favor of their husbands’, especially on social media and on stage. She believes it affected and watered down the effort they put into building themselves all these years, as the oubli now views them as a group.

“The problem as artists is that when some get married, they bring their husbands into their brand as if they are both artists. That is not right. I want people to know that he is my husband, but I do not want them to think we are a group. I do not change my name on screen to Mrs. Okuyo. I’m still Cindy The King Herself. Separating your brand helps you a lot because what if you split up your man?”