We caught up with pop powerhouse on the rise Qymira following the release of her empowering anthem, ‘Wait For No One’.
Hi Qymira, can you talk us through your new single ‘Wait For No One’ and what sparked the idea for the song?
“Wait for No One” started as a note to myself to own my life, and I hope it will resonate with everyone.
All too often we rely on others for our own happiness. We get into relationships thinking our partners will “complete” us, make us happy, fulfill us. And a lot of us have overstayed our welcome as we hope things will change even when our hearts are cracked bit by bit every day. This song is about telling ourselves that we are responsible for our own joy, it’s time to wake up and step up for ourselves before anyone else.
What were your favourite musicians growing up?
I grew up around classical music, but did enjoy a pretty eclectic mix of other styles. I had my favourite musician for every mood. Like Belinda Carlisle and Wilson Philips on school days, they accompanied me with their uplifting melodies and soothing harmonies. Then I would play Madonna on my shower stage, complete with my shower mic under the spotlight, before Frank Sinatra would fly me to my dreams!!
As a songwriter, what’s your creative usual process and what do you draw inspiration from?
I feel like a bartender creating colourful cocktail 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 believe fusion creates magic. My creative process usually starts from a place where I surrender…to everything around me. From that inspirations flow and my heart fully opens and tells its own story in music, lyrics, visuals, stories, fantasies…. you name it, and you have a fusion menu that’s a bit of a feast for the senses.
Can you share one of your most memorable moments from your career so far?
I’ve been very blessed, it’s been an incredible journey. Apart from “Give It To Me” reaching No. 5 on the U.K. Dance Chart, the 3 singles we released in Brazil also hit No 1 in the Bahia radio chart. One of them, “Vem Comigo”, is currently one of the most played songs in Brazil. And then having members of different Philharmonic orchestras from Hong Kong, China to the Philippines play my original pieces, all these mean a great deal to me. Amongst those, perhaps one of my most memorable moments was composing for and conducting a 60-piece orchestra made up of members of the Philippine Philharmonic and Manila Philharmonic for a documentary-film called “Epic Euphony” about our planet which I created for my foundation, One Gaia. And I also invited some children in need who won our Singing Souls contest to sing with the orchestra. We staged it at the ABS-CBN studios. I will never forget the smiles and spirit of that experience, from cast to crew, from rehearsals to taping. We all had tears in our eyes.
‘Wait For No One’ focuses on empowering women and encourages them to leave behind unreliable partners. Why do you think it’s important to advocate for self-love and independence?
Everything starts from one self. All too often we attribute our emotions and experiences to external factors like other people or our environment which are beyond our control when we should be focusing on controlling our reactions to what happens to us. So in the same vein, we must first love ourselves before we can properly love anyone else. The love we give to ourselves will radiate to others through our smile and energy. The sooner we stop giving away our power to others to control our emotions the sooner we become independent and stop the blame game. And little by little, smile by smile, we can become a happier people and build a brighter world together.
How do you think the music reflects the song’s powerful message?
The music of “Wait For No One” has a dash of funk and a free-spirited Latin flair led by the piano chords which contrast the unapologetic marching melody of the vocals and rap. These independent instrumentations call on us to free ourselves and shine on our own so that we can create magic with each other in the end by fusing our unique flavours together, just like this piece of music.
What was the best part about recording ‘Wait For No One’?
It was an exciting process which took place in 4 continents. I first wrote the music and lyrics in LA, before adding and recording the Latin influences in Hong Kong after performing in the Carnival in Brazil. Then I recorded the rap with German rap producer Doc B in Brazil before U.K. DJ Ruff Loaderz took it to the dance floor with a kicking club mix as well. It ran around the globe and truly took on the world!
Growing up as a young woman, do you wish you’d had a song like ‘Wait For No One?’
Even though I would have loved to be a trend setter, I am afraid I cannot take that credit. There have been lots of artists throughout different times, male and female, who have created songs with empowering tone or messages. From Gloria Gaynor’s “I will survive”, Whitney’s “I’m every woman”, Aretha’s fusion of grace and grit, Destiny’s Child’s empowering anthems, and Madonna, my all-time favourite who expresses herself and waits for no one, I have a string of strong role models who have kept me company through highs and lows. I am simply adding my own spin and sharing my voice and perspective on the matter especially given the turbulent times we live in at the moment.
Alongside music, what are your passions?
Oh wow, I have so many. Tennis is my go-to happy place come rain or shine. When I’ve had a good hit, it’s happy days all the way! Other passions I have are sharp shooting and martial arts. Notice most of them involve hits or shots! On my more zen side, I love cooking, fashion and interior design. You may find me getting lost in all sorts of markets, from grocery, flea to fabric!
Do you have any surprising facts listeners may not know about you?
Wow, too many to mention… I’m like my stage name, Qymira. Many sides, many lives, always a surprise! One thing I can think of that listeners may not know is that I trained in LA with members of the U.S. navy seals and marines in sharp shooting and close quarter combat, and was offered a career in executive protection. As for others, I shall leave it to your imagination… for now.
And to wrap up… what’s next for Qymira?
Quite a few bits and bobs for Qymira and One Gaia.
For Qymira, we’re putting finishing touches on the album. “Wait For No One” paves the way for more high energy fusion Dance-Pop numbers like it with kicking beats, unapologetic lyrics, feisty rap even, but also contrasts other tracks that would bring about the sensual and mysterious side of Qymira, whilst some other numbers take you on an epic cinematic adventure painted with the orchestra. One common theme though is that it will be an emotional experience, leaving you feeling naked or wanting to get naked! In Brazil we are getting ready for a couple more releases, including “Wait For No One” featuring Edi Rock from Racionais.
In the Philippines I’ll be recording a few of my original pieces featuring the violin and piano with members of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. In the U.K. I’ll be on a national tour with a major artist (to be announced soon) followed by potentially another tour in Europe with an international artist, which will take us back to the U.K. There’s also a couple of movies in the pipeline. For One Gaia, we are preparing for Season 2 of the One Gaia Singing Souls Contest in the Philippines, which will kick off with the auditions in October and the Grand Finals in December. I will also continue to work closely with the children in need in different territories on other initiatives like arts, sports and film.