Qymira told David Hennessy about touring with Boyzlife and her foundation that helps children in desperate need in places in the world such as Philippines.
Acclaimed for her genre-defying sound and electrifying stage presence, Qymira is joining Boyzlife—the supergroup made up of Keith Duffy (Boyzone) and Brian McFadden (Westlife)—as a special guest on their current 2025 UK tour.
The14-date tour marks Boyzlife’s first UK outing in two years, celebrating the timeless hits of Boyzone and Westlife.
Qymira, whose music blends world influences, electronic beats, and orchestral grandeur, is an artist on the rise fresh off the release of her chart-topping single Labyrinth Of Life.
Wonderland said of her: “Seamlessly transitioning between lush melodies and a rapped flow, showcasing her incredible versatility and unique talent.”
Rapstar News said: “… Stands shoulder to shoulder with the works of Beyoncé and Alicia Keys, yet it’s Qymira’s unique fusion of Asian influences and female Vocals that sets it apart.”
HONK Magazine said: “The acclaimed singer-songwriter reaffirms her position as a formidable presence in contemporary pop sensibilities.”
Born in Hong Kong, raised in San Francisco, receiving a British education Qymira draws inspiration from her diverse cultural background.
She announced herself with the debut single Satisfied, remixed by EEDB, which reached No. 1 on the UK Music Week Breakers Chart.
She followed this with the single, Boom Bang Bang.
Recent single, Wait For No One, climbed to No. 10 on the UK Dance Chart and reached No. 78 on the German Pop 200 Chart.
Last autumn, her single, Give It To Me written by Teeroy Morris, featuring Filipino singer, Kris Lawrence, and Brazilian rapper, Duendy Primeiro, charted at No. 5 on the UK Dance Chart.
Known for her ambitious productions, Qymira incorporates live orchestral scores in her recordings, often conducting members of world-renowned orchestras herself.
She has conducted members of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and Manila Philharmonic Orchestra for live recordings of her orchestral scores. Her original works are performed by symphony and philharmonic orchestras worldwide.
The Irish World caught up with Qymira just as the current tour had kicked off in Ireland.
Qymira told The Irish World: “It’s just really lovely to be in Ireland.
“That was a great first show.
“The audience was lovely. The venue was really very grand.
“The whole night just unfolded in, I would say, a very spectacular way because everybody just came to have fun and we all just had a laugh.”
Have you spent much time in Ireland before?
“Do you know something?
“I’ve always wanted to come on holiday just for a break.
“The last time I was here was actually also for a tour.
“I was touring with Liberty X at the time.
“I remember some really great memories performing there as well.”
I’m sure these audiences are different but there’s, there’s nothing quite like an Irish crowd, would you agree?
“Oh yes.
“They were really, really nice, really friendly. When I said I was from Hong Kong, they were cheering.
“They appreciated I flew all the way from Hong Kong.”
How are you enjoying performing with Keith and Brian aka Boyzlife. Are they good fun?
“They’re great fun.
“I look forward to spending a bit of time getting to know them.
“I look forward to learning some Irish as well, maybe I’ll ask them for starters.”
Were you aware of Boyzone and Westlife when they first came along with the songs that Keith and Brian play on this tour?
“Yeah, West life and Boyzone, a lot of their songs are just classics.
“They accompanied me, I would say, during a lot of heartbreaks.
“There are still some songs of theirs that I just love listening to, like Uptown Girl.
“I just find it really fun.
“Yesterday, when they were playing, myself and the dancers were watching and just singing along.
“It just bring back memories.
“It’s great.”
Obviously you’re a special guest on this tour so I’m guessing you go on before the guys but- speaking of you singing along to them- Is there any opportunity for a bit of a duet? Llike, ‘Let’s welcome back Qymira..’ and the three of you do something together?
“What a great idea. I’m gonna put it to them. I’ll ask Brian later when I see him, ‘Can we do a trio?’
“Yeah, that would be cool.
“It would be a good idea.
“I shall definitely let you know if that happens.”
Your background is interesting. You’re born in Hong Kong, raised in San Francisco and now you’re in London…
“I’ve been very fortunate and a bit restless as well.
“I was born in Hong Kong.
“Because it was 1997 and basically handing over to China a lot of us left and my family just decided to go to the States so I was in San Francisco from the age of six.
“But my parents never trusted American education and I have to agree with them so they basically sent me over to England and I have been there pretty much ever since very young but never really cut ties with Hong Kong.”
Qymira has also performed at the world-renowned Salvador Carnival last year with famed Brazilian artist, Edu Casanova.
Is there a particular highlight of everything you have done so far?
“I would say all of them are great memories in different places.
“I guess one of the highlights in recent years would be doing a lot of work with the orchestra.
“It was actually amazing to work with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra last year and from then, it just started spiralling in terms of my orchestra work because now I’ve just formed the Qymira Symphony Orchestra.
“I never thought I was going to form an orchestra.
“It’s only because they wanted to call themselves something different than saying they were members of the Philippine Philharmonic or the Manila Philharmonic, because of the way that I was asking the players, the musicians, to perform.
“I would say this is kind of one of the highlights.
“To do a tour with Boyzlife and everything is basically the other side of being on stage and in a very energetic, high energy performance and dancing and all that.
“I’m really looking forward to just merging everything together for a show, hopefully later on this year.”
In addition to her musical endeavours, Qymira is committed to her philanthropic work with the One Gaia Foundation, an organisation she founded three years ago to support children in need.
One Gaia empowers children by offering them platforms to explore and express their innate talents under the guidance of top professionals in related fields.
The foundation empowers youth through music, arts, and sports, with current initiatives active across the Philippines, Hong Kong, Jamaica, and Brazil.
Can you tell me a bit about your philanthropy?
“Sure.
“I try my best to help some children in need.
“It started in the summer of 2019.
“I thought, ‘Charity starts at home, and it doesn’t have to start big, just bit by bit’.
“I have got quite a lot of friends that are Filipinos so through them, I learned about their families, their friends, their communities, and provinces, what’s going on there.
“A lot of them are going through all sorts of natural disasters like Typhoon Odette.
“The children in the provinces, a lot of them are in the hills.
“I learned they walked to school for three hours but barefoot, they have nothing.
“Listening to these stories just made me think a lunch in Hong Kong or London or wherever, that’s enough to get them some slippers.
“It actually started off with slippers for these children going to school and then I learned that they couldn’t even go to school even if they were to have slippers because of Typhoon Odette.
“Several schools couldn’t really reopen because the roof came down and there was no toilet, no water and things like that.
“So I just thought, ‘Well, bit by bit, let’s just try and see if I could help a little bit’.
“It’s not like I woke up one day and then I was like, ‘Okay, let’s start a foundation’.
“It’s just because I thought, ‘Well, if I could, with some lunch money, basically go and help and give some school supplies, some slippers, some whatever’, and it just expanded from there.
“So now we’re working with children that have cancer and that actually was the same time, because I realised that some children who have cancer were in this place called everlasting hope and they don’t have mattresses so they’re all sleeping on the concrete floor.
“I felt a bit heartbroken just listening to their stories.
“I just thought, ‘Well, if I could donate mattresses or a bit of medical supplies for them, then it would hopefully, bit by bit, help them.
“Then it’s just branched out from there.
“Because it was the pandemic at that time I did all the sessions online and I would do every Tuesday, Thursday, sometimes Friday to be with these children who were going through chemo so they would come back from the therapy, chemotherapy, and just, you know, just feeling really, really tired.
“We ended up painting, drawing, playing the piano and the doctor then told me that their blood record, it was improving because they were really looking forward to these sessions.
“They ended up singing and dancing and all that.
“A lot of the work is in the Philippines. We did some work in Brazil and Jamaica and also Hong Kong.
“Children- Yes, cliche it may sound- But they are our future and the majority of our world is made up of people in need.
“People in need make up the majority.
“The majority of the world is being called a minority a lot of the times, I just don’t think it’s fair.
“I think the majority of the world should really stand together and starting from children, who a lot of the times don’t see religion, colour, creed or class, they just want to play.
“They just want to express themselves so why not have them work together and exchange their talent with their peers wherever they are and in so doing, hopefully they can promote some sort of understanding of each other and hopefully just decrease a little bit the conflict in the world.”
Boyzlife are touring the UK with Qymira as special guest.
Dates:
30th January: Birmingham, Symphony Hall
31st January: Blackpool, Opera House
1st February: York, Barbican
7th February: Hastings, White Rock Theatre
8th February: London, Indigo at The O2
9th February: Basingstoke, The Anvil
27th February: Bradford, St George’s Hall
28th February: Glasgow, Pavilion Theatre
1st March: Gateshead, Glasshouse
2nd March: Sheffield, City Hall
For tickets and more information, click here.
For more information about qymira, click here.