Reborn Singer-Songwriter Cici Cherishes Family and Musical Growth as She Celebrates Return to Self
With the end of the month bringing with it the birth of her new album, Busisiwe 2.0, a sequel of her self-titled 2021 offering, musician, performer, and singer-songwriter Cici’s latest chapter is one that speaks not only to growth but the paradox of her longevity and the fresh start of her rebirth. A woman at the cusp of her forties and an artist with tested staying power, the award-winning hitmaker’s pastures look greener and wider as her craft continues collecting more platinum plaques and her life as a wife and a mother brings joy and wholeness when the microphone turns off.
The Ladysmith star spoke about the anchoring her nuclear family gave her. Inspired to make the first impression and a lasting one, she talked about giving it her all and putting her best foot forward so that her baby boy didn’t have to look beyond the walls of her home to find an upstanding role model.
“The grounding my family gives me has made me more aggressive in terms of wanting to achieve the things I want to do. If your kids don’t have anything or anybody to look up to and you are not that person, then, who should they look up to? They should be able to find someone at home who helps them to know and understand that no matter what challenges you come across in life, you must always make sure to get over the line and to keep your eye on the ball,” she said.
Cici | SUPPLIED
Glowing, growing, and going beyond, Cici’s been living the best years of her life since privately tying the knot with her hubby. Speaking on her marriage and describing her husband as “the best decision I ever made”, the “Hamba Juba” vocalist credited her husband’s support system with injecting newfound confidence and spunk when it comes to pursuing her dreams. She also dropped some gems on the importance of picking them right.
“The biggest mistake you can make is choosing the wrong life partner. And I’m blessed that the person I am with is not only my husband but also my friend and my biggest fan. He’s the greatest supporter of everything I do. We’ve created a space of comfort with each other that enables me to chase my dreams and to not just have a baby, resulting in my dreams being put on hold. He’s quite supportive. If I have to be out the house early and come back late, he makes sure to work around my schedule. So, if there are things I’m unable to do that I would’ve done during the day with our son, he avails himself to do that. I would say that the best decision I ever made was choosing the partner I am with right now because he makes my life so much easier. I am able to focus on my work when I need to, and when it’s time to detach from work, I am able to assume the roles of being a wife, a mother, a friend, and a cheerleader of his dreams,” Cici said.
With a wealth of experience and welts from being weathered by the harshest of seasons, Cici reflected on her past and people who turned out to be traitors, teaching her about the vitality of being cautious with and spiritually alert concerning who she reserved a seat for at her table.
Cici with her platinum plaque for “Xola” | Instagram
“Not everybody that is in your circle supports you. Not everybody that says they are your friend is your friend. Trust. I’ve had people around me I trusted, only for them to turn around and stab me in the back. So, what I’ve learned is that you must know who you are and who you surround yourself with. Always keep people around you that will continuously be your cheerleaders and root for you as much as you also support them. Finding people that will pour into your cup when yours runs empty is important, so pray for the spirit of discernment to separate the real from the fake. People aren’t normally who they say they are,” she said.
The songstress expressed how striking the sweet spot of work and home life has been central to her life, spotlighting the importance of making the most out of the time she had with her family.
“Praying, working out, spending time with the family, and hitting the studio more often are things that have improved my life over the years. Making sure that I never miss the special moments of the people in my life because we don’t have much time on earth. We often take our lives for granted, and I try to make sure I spend time with people that mean a lot to me,” she said.
Cici | SUPPLIED
Cici revealed that behind the superstar facade lived a homebody who cherished time with family and was altogether reluctant to step outside, if not for the bills to be paid and the status to be maintained.
“For a person with my personality, I am quite boring,” she said, with a little chuckle. “When I’m out, they always say I’m one of the coolest people, but in all honesty, I’m one of those people that never want to leave the house. And I think maybe it’s because my work is in the entertainment space, meaning we are always around people. So, when you get that time to wind down, you just want to be with your family, watching Netflix and chilling, and sleeping. I really love my sleep, I don’t wanna lie – when I want to sleep, I will sleep! I’m a homebody, in essence. I’m not leaving the house if the event is not interesting or set to pay the bills, or if it’s not a friend or associate or some brand alignment thing I need to do. I am grateful that my partner is the same person; he doesn’t like being outside. So, yeah, I’m boring. I’m a homebody, and don’t invite me to anything.”
Looking at life beyond 40 and over the horizon of music, Cici spoke about pivoting to business and journeying down that path fully committed.
“It’s really difficult for me to detach myself from art because I am art itself, so when I stop creating, everything around me stops making sense. But there are other projects and things I’m doing on the side business-wise. I’m the kind of person that is really private when I’m not about my music or busy with business-related things. With that said, I’m at that point in my life where I’m doing things that will transition me from being an artist to being a businesswoman. So, that chapter of my life is exciting because it’s something different and challenging. I’m currently in school and furthering my studies,” she said.