Thirty-nine-year-old Shunza will drop her new album in 2012, after a six-year hiatus. She says this time gap was intentional because the market was so bad.

"If I were a singer who just sings and dances, I would release one album after another. But I write all my songs and I can't stand the fact that my music is not cherished due to rampant piracy," she says.

The album, written and composed by Shunza, will feature her favorite musical genres of reggae, blues and jazz. She says she doesn't consider what will sell when she prepares for a new album.

"I was criticized for singing too many English lyrics in the early days. But take a look at today's music industry, and you will find lots of (Chinese) vocalists singing in English.

When singers like David Tao and Wang Lee-hom sang R 'n' B 10 years ago, people didn't get it. But R 'n' B is one of the most popular music genres. I know that reggae and jazz might not be widely popular in China but I want to recommend it to music lovers."

One song from the album, To the Top, will be performed at the Booyi Lehoo concert with her band. The song, half in English and half in Chinese, tells the story of her journey to become a singer.

Shunza has also been a judge on Super Girl Singing Competition, a Chinese version of American Idol, since 2005. The TV show gave birth to celebrities including Li Yuchun and Jane Zhang.

"Some of the contestants have many years experience singing at pubs, which polished their singing skills and gave them confidence.

"They also know how to work with a live band. Others, who are pretty or good at dancing, don't know how to sing with a band because they just sing karaoke," she says. "Overnight stardom is not reliable. If you want to be successful, you have to pay the price."

The biggest price Shunza has paid for being famous is her privacy, which is why she moved from Taipei to Beijing. "No one disturbs me here, no paparazzi," she says.

Now, Shunza lives six months a year in Beijing and the rest of the time in France. She calls Beijing, despite the pollution and traffic jams, her "sweet hometown".

She used to live in a four-floor building near Hufangqiao, in the capital's south, which has a traditional flavor; and in a small hutong near Lama Temple.

"The air was fresh then and I miss the old days," says Shunza, who now lives in the capital's Sanlitun area, which is more international and commercial.

She says that she feels lucky to have been given the name Shunza, which was her grandfather's idea. "Shun" means smooth and successful, and she says she has been lucky since childhood. Her pianist mom and clarinet player father passed on their musical genes, she says, and she started learning piano at age 4, knowing that she would be a singer one day.

"Now, my wish is to help other people."