Toronto indie artist Chinyi C has been playing music since her childhood in Singapore. Her dreamy and intimate acoustic guitar and original songs convey what it feels like to move between different countries while still searching for connection.
Jade Music Fest will present Chinyi C in a free concert on Granville Island along with Vancouver East-West fusion artist Caroline Ding and Taiwanese Hakka folk singer Yan Feng Li. The show begins at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday (November 7) on the Revue Stage.
In 2022,Chinyi C released her debut EP, “All We Are”. In advance of her performance, she shared her thoughts with the Pancouver about two of her more recent compositions, life in Toronto, and what it was like performing at the Jade Music Fest in Asia in April.
Pancouver: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
Chinyi C: My music is largely introspective and audiences usually describe it as soothing and hopeful. I write about coming to terms with change and some of my songs centre on the search for home and belonging as someone who’s moved between different places.
Pancouver: You grew up in Singapore and lived in the United States for several years before settling in Toronto. How has living in Canada influenced how you approach songwriting and performing?
Chinyi C: Toronto’s given me many opportunities to perform and grow as an artist, and to be involved in the music community. There’s a large range of music in Toronto and I’m constantly inspired by the people I meet who are experts in their instrument and their craft, and people who have opened doors for me and given me advice as a newcomer artist here. Toronto also has a music culture that very much celebrates the fusion of different cultural backgrounds in music, which has encouraged me to bring some of that storytelling into my performances.
Pancouver: What was it like for you to return to Asia in April and perform at the Jade Music Fest in Taipei?
Chinyi C: It was like reconnecting with a part of myself I hadn’t realized I was missing. I’m half Hokkien and even though Singaporean Hokkien is different from Taiwanese Hokkien, being around it in Taiwan made me think of my dad and his side of the family. It was also really nice to be able to connect with people in Mandarin, to sing some of my songs in Mandarin, which I feel like was celebrated at Jade Music Fest in Taiwan. I had a really great experience performing with Taiwan-based visual artists as well and got to connect with new and old friends in Taipei. I’d love to do it again.
Pancouver: Your 2024 single “Human” created a lot of buzz. What are you trying to say with this song?
Chinyi C: I wrote this song about how people who come into our lives change us, and shape us to be who we are today. I wrote the song thinking of my communities back in the U.S. and Singapore, and made a music video for this with several people in Toronto that I had met when moving here. I’ve always hoped that song would bring people together. It’s really about the importance of human connection and how we carry a piece of people we love with us.
Pancouver: Last year, you released “Everything is Changing”. What was the inspiration for this single?
Chinyi C: I wrote this at the beginning of 2025 after a disagreement I had with someone I cared about related to politics, during a time when it also felt like there were many world events that were happening and a lot of uncertainty. It was a song I wrote in reflection when struggling with the question of how do you still respect and care for people when you have drastically different opinions, and when the world is full of noise telling you you can only pick one of two sides. It’s ultimately about choosing to respond with love knowing that you can’t control everything that happens around you.
Pancouver: What are you working on now?
Chinyi C: I’ll be performing a couple of songs with a Taiwanese artist Cliff, one of which we co-wrote recently about memory and family. We met at last year’s Jade Fest, which kicked off our collaboration, and this will be our first time debuting this song. I’m also excited to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones, and hope people can come out to the show.
Jade Music Fest will present Chinyi C in a free concert at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday (November 7) on the Revue Stage at Granville Island. The lineup also includes Vancouver East-West fusion artist Caroline Ding and Taiwanese Hakka folk singer-songwriter Yan Feng Li.
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