Kim Hong Hee, known professionally as Kimera, was born on January 10, 1954, in Daegu, South Korea. She began her musical journey at a young age, singing as a soloist with the National Metropolitan Choir and appearing regularly on KBS programs. At 20, she obtained a degree in French literature from Sung Sin University in Seoul before moving to France to continue her studies at the Sorbonne. In Paris, Kimera secretly pursued vocal training under Mady Mesplé at the École normale de musique de Paris, earning a Diplôme Supérieur d'Art Lyrique in 1984. Kimera's career took off when she formed the group Kimera and the Operaiders with her husband Raymond Nakachian and John Fiddy. Their debut album, Lost O?éra, released in December 1984, blended opera with modern music elements and sold three point five million copies worldwide. This unique fusion of genres, which Kimera termed "Rock-Opéra" or "Popera," continued with her subsequent album, O?éra Express. In 1988, she performed at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Seoul, serving as an ambassador for South Korea. She also gained prominence through her role as the marraine of Guy Lux's show Intercontinent and her performance of Ravel's "Boléro" with the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia in 1991. Her notable discography includes Lost Opera (1985), Opera Express (1986), and With love caruso (2008).
