Singer Cynthia Lamusu wants to prove to the public, especially her fans, that her marriage to actor Surya Saputra does not mean the end of her career. She is set to entertain her fans in a musical drama and is also launching the latest album of her trio B Three, which was previously known as AB Three.A smile flashed on Cynthia's face as she saw many reporters, TV cameramen and photographers surrounding her and Surya. They looked like a happy couple, both wearing blue outfits. Cynthia was fresh yet chic in blue mini dress, black stockings and black-and-white checkered scarf, while Surya wore denim pants, a T-shirt and blue sweater.
The couple was attending the press conference for Gita Cinta (Love Hymn) the Musical, an adaptation of Gita Cinta dari SMA (Love Hymn from High School), the 1970s popular novel and later cult film starring Rano Karno and Yessy Gusman. After the press conference, reporters, photographers and cameramen were all heading to Cynthia and Surya to get their comments.
Instead of interviewing the couple about their roles in the musical show, the reporters tried to confirm the rumor about Cynthia's pregnancy. "Mbak Cynthia, you look a bit chubbier. Are you pregnant?" asked a TV reporter from a local celebrity gossip program.
Both Cynthia and Surya giggled.
"No, I'm not pregnant," Cynthia said.
The questions from the reporters did not stop there. They still asked about babies although the couple has only been married for less than two years.
The 31-year-old singer admitted she was bored by baby questions.
"It's not that we don't want to have a baby. Believe me, we have been trying to get one everyday," she said, giggling.
"We are still newlyweds. It's just that God has yet to give a baby to us."
She told reporters how much they loved kids. "You know what; Mas Surya often *kidnaps' kids near our home. He gathers kids in our neighborhood and gives them candies," she said, glancing at her husband. Cynthia believed that good fortune could be anything, such as the opportunity of playing in a theatrical performance.
She excitedly discussed her music career, especially her role in Gita Cinta the Musical. Gita Cinta is a romance between Galih and Ratna, two brightest students at a high school. Their romance does not run smoothly though, since Ratna's father opposes their relationship. He does whatever it takes to separate them, including setting up a marriage for Ratna.
In the musical drama, which will be staged in March 2010, Cynthia will play Ratna's mother. "It's a dream come true. I have a dream of performing in Broadway, you know. And when I got the chance to participate in the Gita Cinta audition, I was really surprised and excited."
She said that the show was her first-ever drama musical.
"None of the films or plays I performed in before were completely musical. Gita Cinta is different because it is a 100 percent drama musical, a singing and dancing show."
She won the role after enduring a series of auditions. Although she's used to performing on stage, she admitted that she felt nervous while auditioning.
"I felt as if my knees were shaking. In this show, you have to be able to dance and sing at the same time. It's really hard.
"I'm so happy that I could finally secure the role as there were many good actresses competing to get this role."
Another challenge is she has to act with Surya as a married couple, just like in real life.
"It's not as easy as you have ever thought. If, for instance, we have a fight in the real life, we should not carry the emotion to the stage. We have to be professional," she said.
"However, the good thing is that we can practice the scenes at home."
Besides working hard for the show, Cynthia has also been busy preparing the latest album of B Three with the other two personnel, Riafinola Ifani Sari or Nola and Widi Mulia.
Early this year, the trio decided to change its name to B Three, as well as its management.
"It's not that we had problems with the former management, but we want to be totally involved in B Three," Cynthia said.
"AB Three was associated with teenage life. Now, we have already grown up and we want to present something fresher and more mature. It's also the best time for us to do what we haven't done before."
The new band name and management clearly brings new spirit for the three of them.
"It's time for us to do what we want to do. We can also collaborate with any musician we want," she said, adding they were sticking with pop music for the upcoming album.
It's been three years since the band released its album, Selamat Datang Cinta (Welcome Love). Now, they are back with their latest single "Cinta Sampai Mati" (Love to Dead).
Through the single, they want to show many people that they can still entertain music lovers. But things are really not the same for the three members of B Three anymore. They are no longer a group of single girls. They are now mothers and wives.
Nola is a mother of two kids, while Widi has a baby and is expecting her second child with actor Dwi Sasono.
Cynthia tends to see this change as a challenge rather than an obstacle.
"If we talk about priorities, family is definitely on top of our list. We don't want to put high ambitions because we are not like we used to be.
"But we are so lucky to have such great husbands who support our activities. Mas Surya, for instance, knows that I like singing so he lets me sing to express myself."
Cynthia's music career did not come in an instant. She has been working hard to get into the industry since she was a little girl.
She started out by participating in many music competitions in her home town, North Sulawesi's Gorontalo, before securing a contract to release her first-ever solo album, Sesal (Regret) in the early 1990s.
But her real entrance into the entertainment world was when she took part in "Asia Bagus", a music competition for young singers in some countries in Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.
In this program, she successfully made her way to the Grand Champion final in Japan, securing the second place before launching her second solo album Cintaku Hanya Satu (My Love is Only One) in 1998.
Two years later, she became the new member of AB Three, which was established in 1993, after Lusy Rahmawati left the trio.
Cynthia, Widi and Nola were already familiar names because they were also former Asia Bagus contestants.
Music is not only Cynthia's one-and-only interest, but also fashion. She even designs women's wear for her boutique Lamusch, which was established four years ago.
She admitted that she loved shopping, dressing up and matching outfits with her feminine style. No wonder she always looks sophisticated and chic.
She is also concerned with preserving local culture, trying to include traditional fabrics like batik and songket to her collection. In the near future, she will incorporate Gorontalo's traditional textiles called kerawang.
She will cooperate with the city administration, as well as the members of the city's Family Welfare Education (PKK) to realize the plan.
"Why Gorontalo? Because it's my father's homeland. If it's not us, then who will preserve the fabrics?" Cynthia said.
No matter how busy she is, family is still everything for her. She even gave up one of her boutiques to to spend more time with her beloved husband.
Due to their hectic schedule, they sometimes cannot attend events together. That sometimes raises questions from celebrity gossip reporters.
"We just take it easy. It's been our consequences as public figures. Both Mas Surya and I have made a firm commitment to build good communication between us."
During the interview, Cynthia and Surya always answered the various questions politely and nicely.
Cynthia talked to reporters for almost an hour about her career and private life. She and her husband had to leave to attend another event.
The reporters and photographers, however, could not seem to get enough of her. Some kept following the couple to get their comments about anything, including recent political issues.
"We're really sorry, guys. We have to go. Nice to meet you. See ya," said the star couple, waving their hands to the people in the room, heading to their car in the parking lot.
Reporters might not have received perfect answers concerning babies as they wanted, but at least the nice couple had left a good impression.
Prilliany Cynthia Lamusu Biography
Full name: Prilliany Cynthia Lamusu
Place & date of birth: Jakarta, April 12, 1978
Achievements:
1st weekly winner of Asia Bagus (1994)
1st monthly winner of Asia Bagus (1994)
2nd winner of Asia Bagus Grand Champion (1995)
1st winner of dancing program Selebdance (hosted by a local TV station)
Discography:
Solo album: Sesal (Regret - 1990),
Cintaku Hanya Satu (My Love is Only One - 1998)
With AB Three : Auraku (My Aura - 2002), Selamat Datang Cinta (Welcome Love - 2006)
