MANILA, Philippines – Before we laid eyes on Darren Espanto in person, we heard him – that powerful, punchy belt shot straight past the locked brown door and through to a small group of people outside the studio, humming in appreciation.
The Voice Kids runner-up was rehearsing behind closed doors for a repeat performance of his first solo concert, dubbed the “Total Performance” concert, first held last October via Aqueous Events.
“Listen,” he crooned. “To the song, here in my heart.”
We’re glued to the door. It starts slow.
“The time has come / for my dreams to be heard. They will not be pushed aside and turned / into your own / all ’cause you won’t listen.”
The song rises to its peak, but there’s no hesitation. He slides cleanly into the high notes. He’s only 13, but the command and control is there, shoulder to shoulder with other greats who have sung the song – music superstars like Beyonce and Charice Pempengco.
The audience knows it, too. Perennially trending, whether he’s flying in and out of the country, releasing his first album, or simply making a TV appearance, Darren’s star is rising and his fans want more.
Despite all this, though, he’s still only a teenager, counting Loom Bands, Minecraft, and Instagram among his hobbies. School remains a fixture in his life, though he’s home-schooled, allowing him a more flexible schedule.
He wolfs down his merienda with much gusto, giggles along with the rest of us during a funny blooper – and like any other teen would be in his place, he misses his family, still based in Canada, where he was based before The Voice Kids.
In this interview, the young singer and all-around performer talks about his tense Voice Kids audition (“I felt like puking!”), his favorite songs, and what he’d be doing if he weren’t singing. Watch above, then click here for more Darren on Rappler.
– Rappler.com
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