Every little boy in the late 2000’s would crush on Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana. But as Cynthia Marte watched the show he knew she wanted to become her.
After growing up as a boy in a Christian family in the Bronx, at 16, she decided to embark on a gender transition while struggling with her faith and an awakening music career. “I understand how vital it is that I depend on God,” says Marte, now 24. “Maybe God has been preparing me for something, because I didn’t ask to be this way, but I am.”
All the struggles Marte has been through since transitioning have made her a stronger person in her faith and career as a musician. She writes, sings, raps, produces, and performs her own music, using her persona Cynderella. She’s been releasing original music and covers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, gaining a few thousand followers. “As a kid Hannah Montana was the show that gave me access to knowing about studio equipment and I fell in love with it,” says Marte. “I was just a little boy in a room singing and dreaming that one day I could finally get on a stage and be a star, and I’m low key living my dream now.”
Growing up Marte knew her behaviors were different from other boys. She often found deep attraction to ‘feminine’ toys, clothing, style, and female role models. At nine, she became invested in RuPaul’s Drag Race star Carmen Carrera, and immediately realized that she wanted what Carmen had done, become a woman.
Still, living in a family of conservative Christians created doubt and she struggled with letting her inner self be known and accept who she was. When she was fifteen, Marte felt the girl inside could no longer be contained, so she came out to her church best friend and later to the family. “I finally understood what I felt like was wrong with me,” says Marte. “Once I started taking estrogen, my brain finally started making sense. It brought more vibrance and started working at a higher pace and functionality.”
After years of self discovery, finding peace with herself and purpose in life, she came back to her lifelong passion of making music. “Cynthia has talent to spare,” says Elizabeth Paulino, Cynthia’s aunt. “I believe that her talent and dedication to music will take her very far in her career. I can’t wait to see it.”
Although it is hard to live as a trans woman, she relies on her faith to remind her that everything is okay. “I love my faith in God now,” says Marte. “God wouldn’t have created me if he hated me, so I know that God has to love me.”
