Fashion Friday - Focus on Cyril Designs

I have always maintained that Bulawayo has got talent and this week on Fashion Friday we feature a young designer who has made me question if Gert Coetze is indeed my favourite African designer.

He is a twenty – year old wonder who goes by the name Cyril Designs and below is his story.

    So who is Cyril Designer?

I am Cyril K Gopoza, born in the year 1995.My brand name is Cyril Designs.

    Have you always had a passion for fashion?

I started loving designing after being inspired my mum who was a tailor and my best friend Tendai Tuber who is also a local designer.

I have always been a smart and stylish young man and it is very easy for me to adapt to the latest fashion trends.

It’s like I was born to do this so fashion runs through my blood and I live for it and it lives through me.

    Ok so what motivated you to pursue your love for designing and not get into other professions?

Well I realised that I had a great passion and love for designing from hearing people’s comments and reactions when they saw some of the things I had designed for myself.

    Did you go to school to study designing or you are self taught?

After finishing my O’ Level in 2012 I went to study Cutting and Designing at Speciss College for a year, but I had been designing from way back. I then got my certificate and opened a shop in town where I am currently working from now.

    Your designs are they for everyone or you only cater for certain people?

I design for both males and females, I do not specialise hey.

    What are the challenges you come across in your industry?

Meeting a lot of people with different needs and as a designer you have to adapt to them give them all the customer care they need. And there is less material in Zimbabwe which limits my creativity

   What is your advice to a young person reading this who would love to be in the fashion industry?

Love and passion is everything in this industry.

Cyril Designs dresses some of the City Of Kings’ musical talents that include Hip – Hop sensation Cal – Vin and Afro – Pop crooner MJ Sings.

This young designer is very talented and with his attitude and love for fashion he will go places.

MJ Sings

Cal _Vin

He operates from Sindu House which is at corner Five Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street and his shop is on the second floor.

Choose to look different from the rest by visiting this shop and support this local designer.

I most definitely will because I have a feeling Cyril Designs will soon blow up and I want to get my hands on his merchandise while it is still affordable.....

God Is Love

Emma

Disciplining our kids

So my daughter is now 1year 9months old and I have decided to potty train her and not because a lot of the other mothers have been telling me to start but because I feel its time. This girl is not even two years old but her vocabulary!!Child can talk, like construct proper sentences that make sense.

She can tell you if you do something that she does not like and promise you  a beating  kkkk. And she can now tell right from wrong and she is the master manipulator. Like she knows when to flash you that adorable smile and make you melt, and if she sees that you not falling for the smile she goes in for the kill and says ’I love you’ tell me what type of person would not fall for that?

We been potty training for a week now and we still fighting, she does not know that she has to tell me that she wants to poo poo before she does it, this has really drove me to the edge. This one day I was so mad I ended up taking her hand and gave it two taps at the back she just stared at me like I was crazy, I then thought let me try doing it on her behind and still no reaction. Child you trying it!! I thought to myself and then I got the switch gave her two soft lashes accompanied by DID-I- NOT- TELL-YOU- NOT- TO- DO- THAT?

Needless to say she cried and later on as I sat thinking what a monster I was for doing that to her, I realised I just gave my princess her first spanking. Before becoming a mom I always thought to myself I will never be that mom that used physical disciplining methods, like growing up my mom would tell you to go outside and get your own switch and I would bring the smallest and she would tell me that if she went outside and got the switch I would call all my ancestors one by one.

I got my fair share of whooping so I was like I wont do that when I have kids, even told my mom so and she just said we will have this conversation again when I was a parent. How right she was. I always see white people tell their kids to go to their rooms or time-out, not to disrespect anyone but black babies do not care about time out you give them that and send them to a corner and they will still find a way to entertain themselves and enjoy that corner.

My problem now is how do I deal with my baby because she knows how to soften me up ,after doing her poo poo she comes over to me and starts kissing up on me and saying mummy mummy, mummy,mummy I  love you. Sorry mummy sorry mummy, and I melt then same routine tomorrow.

I have decided to leave the potty training for now till I get advice on how to go about it and I am retiring the switch lest I end up messing up my daughter and our relationship. This switch thing is not my ideal way of disciplining because I think it pains you more than the child. After you done you feel like a monster maybe I should try out the time-out method.

Being a parent is not an easy job, comes with a lot of work and pain. You try by all means to be a great parent but without spoiling them too much and turning them into brats.

Any tips are welcome

GodIsLove

Emma

‘Licence to thrill’ pays dividends for Highlanders

By Sakheleni Nxumalo
(All pics by Thandiwe Moyo)

HIGHLANDERS head coach Bongani Mafu’s wish for his charges to play an exciting but productive brand of football is slowly but surely coming true judging by their performance during the 1-0 win over How Mine in the ZNA Charities semi - final at Barbourfields on Sunday.

Modern football has become so technical such that most coaches do not encourage individual flair but Mafu has come across as one coach who believes in what is known as Kasi flavour in South Africa.

African players have always been considered to be very stylish and full of trickery but Eurocentric training methods that discourage showing off have seen the master dribblers in the Boy Ndlovu, Vitalis Takawira and Mandla Balanda mould being pushed out of the game.

 Mafu however, believes in players expressing themselves on the field of play and after his charges’ goalless draw against Bulawayo Ctiy in a friendly encounter, he let on that he had told his players at half time to go out and sit on the ball if that would help chase away their jitters.

Striking a balance between entertaining fans and being technically and tactically savvy is crucial though and this was evident when Highlanders lost 2-1 to Caps United in the Bob@91 elimination encounter a few weeks ago.

In that match Highlanders dominated proceedings in the first half with a crisp passing game but came unstuck after their opponents made personnel changes that swung the game in their favour.

But in what could be a sign that Highlanders is improving with each passing game, the Bulawayo giants were not only impressive in their ability to exploit space and create great build ups but were also able to deal with tactical changes made by the opposition.

For example in the second half How Mine deployed more men in midfield by dropping the hard running Naftery Ndale – who had in the first half been part of a two man attack with former Bosso striker Mgcini Sibanda -  to play as a missing striker and that saw action being played out in the Highlanders half for long periods.

How Mine became even more dangerous when Kuda Musharu replaced Sibanda but the Highlanders technical team were quick to react and threw in Teenage Hadebe to partner Douglas Sibanda in central defence with captain Felex Chindungwe moving to central midfield to double anchor with Eric Mudzingwa.

 Highlanders are indeed still a work in progress as they did fizzle out in the latter stages of the game but for some time last Sunday it was evident that the players were enjoying their game with the rejuvenated Obadiah Tarumbwa outstanding.

Another standout player was the speedy Gabriel Nyoni whose transformation after being shifted to play as a right linkman can only be described simply as amazing.

Nyoni was unconvincing as an out and out striker and easily gave away possession but has all of sudden become a confident winger who combines speed and dribbling to skip past defenders and could become a standout player for Bosso this season.

 And in goals Njabulo Nyoni brought back memories of eccentric Highlanders goalkeepers of yesteryear Edmore “Mamkhwebu” Sibanda, Johannes Tshuma and Tapuwa Kapini with his theatrics that fans lapped up.

But he should be reminded that the same fans will turn on him in the blink of an eye should his clowning result in him conceding a silly goal.

BestFriends

Started writing a piece on tattoos and then I hit writers’s  block. I then decided to turn on some music and they were playing Woza by Jeziel Brothers, love love that song and the one that was played after that one was Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran. Now that song proper brings out the romantic in me.

You know that type of song that uplifts your soul or mood. The one that makes you think of that loved one. This song took me back way way back to 2010. A point in my life whereby I had retired of matters of the heart and the only thing that I loved more than Emma were my shoes. This is also a time when l lost friends because we had outgrown each other but I gained a friend who is a million times better than all those that left my life.

We had so much in common, we both loved the beautiful game of soccer and we spent the whole of winter days  indoors watching The World Cup. Laughing was the order of the day when we were together. It is true that in life you meet strangers who become more than just a person who you met thorough paths that crossed each other.

That one person whom I go watch the game with, the one I watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta with kkkkk ok fine I should have said the one I force to watch the housewives with me. In life you meet a lot of mean people. Especially at colleges and universities you come to learn of the mean girls, today you are friends and tomorrow BOOM she be throwing all kinds of shade at you.

And let me not get started on the frogs that you get to meet and days later they show you their true colours and green is a lovely colour but slimy slippery green can be nauseating. So when you finally meet that person who blends in with you like that pair of Louboutins you want to shout at the top of your voice and tell the world what a mighty God you serve.

Best-Friends are the angels that God gives us and they are rare and difficult to find but when you finally do you hold on for dear life.

I want you guys to cherish your best-friends because that is what I plan on doing to mine. Sakheleni Nxumalo is my Best-friend Forever, my ride or die my A1,my I am stronger because I know you got my back and I yours.

Mention your best-friend and remind them how much you love and adore them in the comments box.

God Is Love

Emma

Meet the talented MJ Sings

THE city of Bulawayo has long been considered as the country’s cultural hub but the non-availability of radio stations based in the city has in recent years deprived local artistes of an avenue to get their works to the masses.

But the above challenge has not stopped Bulawayo musos from producing top quality music and one such artiste is 22-year old Michael Jeremy Ncube, who goes by the stage name MJ Sings.

We caught up with the afro-pop singer to find out more about his work.

Who is MJ Sings?

My real name is Mncedisi Jeremy Ncube and my stage name is MJ Sings. I am an Afro Pop singer-songwriter from Bulawayo aged 22.

So when did you start doing music?

I started doing music when I was 14 years old when I  joined  an accapela group called Oasis8 and for four years I was the group’s lead singer.

Who have you worked with in the music industry?

I have had the honour to perform alongside great artists such as Tariro ne Gitare, iTribe, Haja from Madagascar, Josh Meck and many more.

What are you currently working on?

At the moment I am working on my next single which is going to drop later this month.  I am also working on my first album that will be released later this year.

So what challenges have you faced in pursuing your music career?

The biggest challenge I have faced and still face is financial constraints because of the unavailability of music promoters.

 If more investors can have faith in my brand and believe in it and invest then I would be Africa’s next biggest star.

So how can people get in touch with MJ Sings?

Well I am on twitter @MJ Sings, facebook as MJ Sings, and You Tube as MJ Sings

MJ Sings has a single out that is entitled Our Story and believe you me when I say Our Story is one of my new favourite local songs. You can check out the single on You Tube and I promise you will definitely fall in love with MJ Sings just like I did.

The track was produced by Cal-vin who also does the rap on the joint while a musician named Beke played the guitar.

God Is Love;

Emma