Darren Espanto never imagined himself being other than a Kapamilya: ‘I keep finding reasons to stay with ABS-CBN’
Darren Espanto during his contract signing. Image: Instagram/@darrenespanto and @niceprintphoto
During his first-ever contract signing with ABS-CBN, Darren Espanto said he never imagined himself being other than a Kapamilya artist.
The 22-year-old singer, who started his journey with the network as a finalist in the first season of “The Voice Kids PH,” said that the idea of joining a different station “never really crossed my mind.”
“I’ve always imagined myself as a Kapamilya artist,” shared the “ASAP Natin ‘To” mainstay, who expressed appreciation for the family he has found in the network.
“[I]sa po talagang malaking pamilya kami dito (We’re really one big family here) with our bosses, our co-artists. So, I never really found a reason po to leave. But I do keep finding reasons to stay with ABS-CBN,” said Espanto, who mentioned that he’ll be involved in “more acting projects.”
He is set to appear in the upcoming film “When I Met You in Tokyo,” which marks the big screen reunion of award-winning actors Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon. For the movie, he was paired with revamped “Eat Bulaga” co-host Cassy Legaspi, to whom he has been romantically linked.
Espanto shared that the upcoming movie is “something that I never thought would be possible,” and further said that people can expect “a different side of Darren” in the feature, which also stars Lotlot de Leon, Gabby Eigenmann and Kakai Bautista, among others.
The “Lyric and Beat” actor, who wants to further hone his acting skills by attending classes, also featured in the 2018 film “The Hows of Us,” which was topbilled by Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla.
The Kapamilya star, who was also a finalist in a Canadian singing competition prior to joining “The Voice Kids PH,” admitted to the difficulty of growing up in the public eye.
“Ang hirap na lumaki sa harap ng tao,’yung in front of the camera kasi, siyempre, may mga pagkakamali kang magagawa. And also, you wanna explore and do different things na, minsan, hindi sang-ayon sa mentality nung audience mo,” shared Espanto, who described the experience as “bittersweet.”
(It’s difficult to grow in front of the public, to grow in front of the camera because, of course, you’ll be making mistakes. And also, you wanna explore and do different things that, sometimes, are not in line with the mentality of your audience.)
“Siyempre, public figures po tayo, so kailangan lahat ng kilos mo bantayan mo and all that (Of course, we’re public figures, so you have to be aware of all your actions and all that). So, it’s bittersweet, you know, growing up in show biz,” he added.
However, the “In Love Ako sa ‘Yo” hitmaker also acknowledged how growing up in show business has helped mold his character.
“[M]arami ka ring mga matututunan and mga pagdadaanan din (You’ll also learn a lot and also go through experiences) that will help you become the person that you are today, and help you shape yourself into, you know, a better person din (as well) po,” he said.
For his music career, Espanto has recently been getting vocal training to ensure that his voice stays in tip-top shape. The “Tawag ng Tanghalan” judge hopes to have the opportunity to collaborate with his “The Voice Kids PH” coach Sarah Geronimo for a single.
He also praised the “ASAP icons”—among those he named were Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano and Zsa Zsa Padilla—who, he said, are all open to collaboration with young artists like him.
“[M]insan, si Tito Ogie, lalapitan ako sa ‘ASAP.’ Ta’s, sasabihin niya, ‘Alam mo may sinusulat akong kanta. Bagay sa’yo (Sometimes, Tito Ogie would approach me during “ASAP.” And he’d say, “You know I’m writing a song. It suits you)…. It’s very heartwarming na naririnig ‘yun na (to hear that), they would trust a composition of theirs to me,” he shared.
Espanto joins a growing list of artists who have recently signed a contract with or renewed their commitment to the Kapamilya network. The list includes Gary Valenciano, Jake Ejercito and Chie Filomeno, among others. /ra
