Qymira

Fresh off opening for Boyzlife on their UK & Ireland tour, Qymira has set off on a spiritual journey with the evocative ‘Labyrinth Of Life’, which came to life after a moment of awakening. She uncovered her thoughts behind healing, the journey of transformation, the cinematic inspiration behind the song, and pushing artistic boundaries – for the rising star, who blends a music career with committed philanthropy, the sky’s truly the limit.

'Labyrinth of Life’ is described as an anthem of awakening. Can you share the personal journey or inspiration that led you to write this song?

It was inspired by my personal experience. Mom was very sick, and I had dropped everything to go back to Hong Kong to take care of her. After a while I decided to continue with my music on the side and try to keep a brave face along the way. Whilst learning alternative healing methods to help Mom, I ended up unveiling a lot of findings regarding our world, history, religions, origin, etc. that were not widely known, and after several years of deep research, I decided to write about them in this song.

As I always believe that entertainment should be entertaining, I leave the message in the lyrics in the form of codes and symbols for listeners to interpret how they wish based on their own beliefs and experiences. Above all, the most important message is that we should go through the labyrinth of life together; we just need to lean on each other.

You seamlessly transition between lush melodies and rap in this track. How do you approach blending these different vocal styles within a single song?

I feel like a bartender creating colourful cocktails sometimes. I am passionate about contrasts and often enjoy marrying different styles of music and culture that I’ve had the joy to experience because I feel that fusion creates magic. In “Labyrinth of Life”, I’ve also used the fusion formula, and perhaps even more so, as I wanted to demonstrate that no matter how different we are, we can all strive through this labyrinth together.

So I set about concocting a cocktail of contrasting elements from the sounds of nature, like a monkey screech, tribal chant, sweeping strings, and punchy vocals to rhythmic rap, and have them each convey the message separately whilst also blending together in perfect harmony. At the end of the day, it’s all about working the same grid and following the same pulse.

You conducted a live orchestral score for ‘Labyrinth of Life’ with members of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. What was that creative process like?

That will always be one of the most unforgettable moments of my music career. I remember it was a really hectic period, and I only had a day to compose and write out all the parts for the different instruments in a 60-piece orchestra. I wanted to create the sense of going through a labyrinth by weaving the instrumentation in and out of each other, especially the strings, so I created suspense with the walking bass, tension with ostinato by the cellos and crying melodic lines on the violins & violas. I started in Hong Kong, continued on the plane, then stayed up all night in the Philippines to finish them in time for the recording. It was simply an epic experience, not just a recording in the studio but a full-scale show taping complete with lighting, projections, etc., at the ABS-CBN studios.

Conducting this spectacular wall of sound just hit me to the core, and their performance gave me the chills.

This song has been described as having a darker, more cinematic edge compared to your previous work. Was this an intentional shift in sound, or did it evolve naturally?

I’ve always been a bit of a chameleon and loved being one with my environment, so the previous tracks, like “Wait for No One”, were influenced by my time in Brazil with its Latin feel. “Labyrinth of Life”, with its darker and cinematic edge, actually is closer to my heart and my roots. Being classically trained and in orchestras from young meant that I naturally write with the piano and strings in mind, so it was spine-chilling to be able to work with the 60-piece orchestra. Along with the symbolic lyrics, it’s like scoring a movie, which again is going back to my roots in films. The whole “Labyrinth of Life” album is a movie and soundtrack of songs that tells a story, with music that speaks my heart – dark, cinematic and thought-provoking.

You joined Boyzlife on their 2025 UK and Ireland tour. What have you learnt from touring alongside such an iconic band?

It was spectacular to tour with the Boyz across the UK and Ireland; they were so easygoing, down to earth and such a great laugh. The one thing I have learnt is that nothing beats a wildly passionate live audience and just how blessed I am to do what I do whilst having a blast on and off stage every day from city to city.

Your music has a strong visual and theatrical component. How does that translate into your live shows?

My live shows – whether as a support act or headliner – always offer theatrical elements from the first minute we set foot on stage. Every single move on the piano and electric violin, along with the singing and dancing, not to mention the costumes, tells the story. My own show, which I am developing at the moment and very excited to bring to life in the near future, is multimedia and interactive in nature. It combines traditional stagecraft, orchestra, movies, modern technology and live performers in spectacular sets and costumes to tell heart-tugging stories drowned in the epic sound of music, which will hopefully take the audience on an emotional journey of love and life.

Your name, Qymira, is inspired by the mythical Chimaera – a creature made of different parts. Do you see this as a reflection of your genre-blending approach to music?

Part of it, yes, but there’s more to it than just the fusion approach to music. It’s a state of being rather than doing, more the natural embodiment of many different things at the same time.

We have many sides to us; the Lion, the Snake and the Goat in the Greek mythical beast, Chimaera, speak to all of us, men and women alike. We are all different things at all times. On the music front, the lion in me allows me to convey the music I do with an orchestra – roaring ahead and unapologetic! The Snake is the darker side of me; when I perform my songs and dance, I am very ‘Game of Thrones’ sometimes. The Goat symbolises inner wisdom, which I always strive for, so I let it govern the lyrics, poems and any written material I do. On the film front, I let all three come alive in my acting, writing and scoring. And also in the world of fashion when I design my collections.

You’ve been compared to icons like Beyoncé and Alicia Keys. How do you carve out your own space in the industry while honouring those influences?

I still feel most honoured and humbled to be compared with icons like Beyoncé and Alicia Keys. They are phenomenal performers, each with their own unique signature style. I think that’s the key to carving out your own space in the industry – to find your own niche, your signature style which only you can do and no one else, and make sure you perfect it so that you can offer entertainment that is truly exceptional, extraordinary and unique to your own. In my case, given my classical upbringing in piano, violin and orchestra, plus RnB and Latin influences from LA to Brazil, my signature style is a fusion of genres rooted in emotional piano and orchestral sounds with an urban pulse.

You founded the One Gaia Foundation to support children in need. What inspired you to start this initiative?

Gaia’s actually what the Ancient Greeks called Earth, to personify her. And I feel it’s about time we do too. I thought if we were to see Earth as a living and breathing soul, especially as a mother who feeds us, then we would respect her and hopefully all that’s living in her. So One Gaia simply means One Earth.

I didn’t wake up one day and decide to start a foundation. I believe charity starts at home. A lot of my friends in Hong Kong, LA and London come from the Philippines, from communities in need. And I just wanted to do whatever I could to give them a hand up. Starting from a few schools in the Philippines which were battered by Typhoon Odette. I felt sorry for thousands of children who were stranded with no schools to attend and then had to walk to school barefoot for hours, so I offered some assistance, and slowly, families turned into communities and provinces, and different groups were in need, from homeless children to those with cancer and disabilities, and little by little I felt very blessed to also be able to witness the talents in these children and felt inspired to design different initiatives to help them further explore and develop them. When I see the joy and hope on their faces, I know this will be my mission for life. I am confident that if given a chance, children in need from across the globe can work together joyfully to create a more hopeful world.

One Gaia empowers youth through music, arts, and sports. Have you witnessed a moment where a child’s life was transformed through these programmes?

There have been many moments over the last few years. We have 10 initiatives in One Gaia across music, dance, arts, films, sports, etc. designed to offer different groups of children in need in different countries, like the Philippines and Brazil, to develop their talents and exchange with their peers in need and eventually shine together on a global platform.

To name just a couple: in Cebu, Philippines, I started the “Drawing Hearts” programme for children with cancer during the pandemic. Seeing them after their chemotherapy, exhausted but with sparkles in their eyes, excited to draw their hearts out with me playing piano for them on the other side of the computer, which they called “the window”, would forever be etched in my heart. Instead of dwelling on their own illness and the deaths of their friends, they felt hope and joy being able to express their talent and pride when I printed their drawings out on canvas bags and also gave them to their homeless peers in Manila so that they could watch over each other as little angels. The proceeds go back to their community for further support. In the same way, homeless children who take part in our singing and dancing contests (we are now in our Season 3) get to share their talent, and the winners get to shine on the global stage with cash rewards and material written for them. The idea is to empower all children in need by giving them a sense of purpose and a source of focus through the various initiatives.

You’re known for pushing artistic boundaries. Can we expect any surprises – whether in music, film, or beyond – in the near future?

If there’s one thing you can count on, it's to always expect the unexpected from the world of Qymira! She doesn’t like to conform, so she pushes artistic boundaries to the max, not just to express her many different sides through music, films and beyond, but also to give the audience a truly riveting and electrifying experience where they will feel the gamut of emotions from her music, lyrics, visuals, acting… and either relive their own experiences or be teleported to a fantasy reality for that moment or even long after she has left the stage.

2025 will be packed with surprises. After the spectacular tour with Boyzlife, there will be a series of instrumental albums, from piano and violin to orchestral. A few more singles will also be released from the “Labyrinth of Life” album, which will also be a movie. There are also several movies on the horizon, plus potentially some international tours… all of which will be… Surprise!!

LISTEN TO ‘LABYRINTH OF LIFE’: https://open.spotify.com/track/2RRwLfxVtTCVU6q9tKXKGe?si=2205f60f373f4cd8