Darren Espanto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Darren Espanto
Espanto in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Darren Lyndon Espanto
Also known as	D' Total Performer, Asia's Pop Heartthrob
Born	(2001-05-24) May 24, 2001 (age 24) Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Genres	Pop OPM Broadway
Occupation(s)	Singer actor television personality
Instruments	Vocals piano percussions saxophone
Years active	2011 (2011)–present
Labels	Corus (2012 (2012)–13) Sony (2012 (2012)–13) Star Magic (2014 (2014)–present) UMG Philippines (2014 (2014)–present) Republic Records Philippines (2022 (2022)–present) Star Music (2023 (2023)–present)

Darren Lyndon Espanto (born May 24, 2001) is a talented Filipino-Canadian singer, actor, and TV star.

He first appeared on TV in 2012 on a show called The Next Star. He became very famous after joining the first season of The Voice Kids Philippines. Later, he signed with ABS-CBN's Star Magic and has built a super successful music career in the Philippines.

In 2024, Darren also became one of the hosts for the popular Philippine TV show, It's Showtime.

Darren Espanto's Early Life

Darren Lyndon Espanto was born in Calgary, Canada, on May 24, 2001. His parents, Marinel Gonzales and Lyndon Espanto, are registered nurses from Isabela, Philippines, who moved to Canada. Darren also has a younger sister named Lynelle.

He can speak Tagalog.

Darren started singing when he was just three years old. As a little kid, he would sing songs like "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King to his parents. When his family saw how talented he was, they encouraged him to become a singer.

In August 2024, Darren had an emergency surgery called an appendectomy. This is when doctors remove your appendix.

Darren's Education Journey

After The Voice Kids, Darren and the other finalists received a scholarship from Eton International School. When he moved to the Philippines, he attended Eton International School. Later, he started homeschooling with The Homeschool of Asia Pacific.

He finished his senior high school with honors. In Grade 11, he earned second honors. In Grade 12, he graduated with first honors and received two special awards: the Achiever Award and the Excellence in Music and Arts Award.

Darren Espanto's Career Highlights

When he was 10, Darren won the Pinoy Singing Sensation competition in Edmonton on August 20, 2011.

His First TV Show: The Next Star

In 2012, ten-year-old Darren auditioned for the fifth season of YTV's reality show The Next Star. He sang "Grenade" by Bruno Mars. One judge, Keshia Chanté, was very impressed and said his voice was "unbelievable" and "controlled." Another judge, Mark Spicoluk, felt he needed more stage presence. Still, he got the "golden ticket" to move forward.

Darren made it to the Top 6, becoming the youngest finalist ever on the show. He sang songs like "Only Girl (in the World)" by Rihanna and "Payphone" by Maroon 5. He also released his own song and music video called "Gotta Give A Little Extra." He had two other songs, "Now" and "Oh Oh Santa," with the other finalists. In the end, he came in second place to Brooklyn Roebuck.

In 2013, Darren had his first acting role as a guest star on YTV's show Life with Boys.

Rising to Fame: The Voice Kids

During the auditions for the first season of ABS-CBN's The Voice Kids, Darren sang "Domino" by Jessie J. Both coaches, Sarah Geronimo and Bamboo Mañalac, wanted him on their team. They said he could become a "total package" recording artist. Even though Darren had been a front act for Bamboo in Canada, he chose Sarah Geronimo as his coach. He felt she could help him a lot in the music world.

Darren reached the finals after singing "One Moment in Time" by Whitney Houston in the semi-finals. He got the second-highest number of votes. Judge Lea Salonga said Darren was amazing. His coach, Sarah Geronimo, said he was "a winner and a complete package." He also sang "Somebody To Love" by Justin Bieber with other Star Magic artists.

In the finale, Darren sang "Ngayon" by Basil Valdez and got a standing ovation. Lea Salonga even joked that Darren would "outshine" older performers someday. Sarah Geronimo praised him for being humble despite his talent. In the final round, Darren played the piano while singing "You Are My Song" as a duet with Martin Nievera. He received another standing ovation. He finished as the runner-up in the competition.

The Voice Kids Performances

Music and Concerts: 2014-2016

Espanto in 2015

In 2014, Darren decided to stay in the Philippines to pursue acting and work with his coach, Sarah Geronimo. In August, he joined Star Magic, ABS-CBN's talent agency. On September 11, his version of "One Moment in Time" topped the Philippine iTunes store charts. His cover of "Somebody to Love" came in second.

He held his first solo concert at the Music Museum, and a second show was added on December 19, 2014. On October 25, he performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. On November 18, his song "O Little Town of Bethlehem" topped the iTunes chart, and his cover of "Domino" was second. On November 29, Darren signed a record deal with MCA Music Inc. (Philippines). A week later, he and the other three The Voice Kids finalists had a concert. He also released his first solo album, "Darren", which quickly hit number 1 on iTunes after its release on December 8.

In January 2015, Darren sang "Tell The World of His Love" for Pope Francis during his visit to the Philippines. On May 29, Darren performed at the Mall of Asia Arena for his birthday concert. This made him the youngest artist to have a solo concert at that big venue. In November 2015, he sang for a state dinner with guests from Mexico. He was also chosen to sing the official theme song for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, "This is Only the Beginning."

In 2016, Darren released his second album, "Be With Me," which included two of his own songs. On July 31, 2016, Darren was the opening act for Selena Gomez's Revival tour in the Philippines.

New Projects: 2017-2019

On May 4, 2017, Darren released a deluxe edition of his "Be With Me" album. It included five extra songs, like "I’ll Be There" with Jed Madela and his popular cover of Sia's "Chandelier."

In 2018, Darren made his acting debut in the movie The Hows of Us. He also joined the teen pop group ASAP G! with other young artists. The group was formed in June 2018 but ended in November 2018 when the show changed its format.

In 2019, Darren performed in "The Aces" concert with singers Lani Misalucha and Jonalyn Viray. They performed in Cebu, Davao, and Manila. Darren and Jonalyn also toured Canada. On April 12, he was the only Filipino guest performer in the finals of Singer 2019 in China. On May 24, he and Morissette released their version of "A Whole New World" for the Philippine promotion of the movie Aladdin. On November 25, he was one of 11 ASEAN singers who sang "Side by Side" for the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit. On November 29, he released his self-written single "Sasagipin Kita," which quickly became number 1 on iTunes.

Digital Era and New Music: 2020-2023

On May 24, 2020, Darren celebrated his 19th birthday with an online concert called "D Birthday Concert from Home". It had 12,000 viewers and raised over P838,000 for ABS-CBN's charity program. On June 12, 2020, Darren became a Youth Advocate for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines. He promotes climate action and youth empowerment.

On June 14, 2020, Darren joined the iWant ASAP Online show as a host. On July 31, 2020, he released "Sana Tayo Na" with Jayda Avanzado. On August 12, 2020, he spoke at the International Youth Day Youth Forum as a UNDP Youth Advocate. On October 23, 2020, he co-hosted the UN75 anniversary celebration in the Philippines. On November 13, 2020, Darren released his Christmas song, "Believe in Christmas," which hit number 1 on iTunes in just two hours.

On February 13, 2021, Darren released a cover of LANY's "If This Is The Last Time." On February 20, 2021, he and AC Bonifacio became online hosts for Your Face Sounds Familiar (Philippine season 3). On April 18, 2021, Darren was officially launched as "Asia's Pop Heartthrob" on ASAP Natin 'To. On May 28, 2021, he released his new single "Tama Na," written by Zack Tabudlo. It reached number 3 on iTunes. On June 9, 2021, Darren became the main host for TNT PH's online show, TNT PopShow.

On June 19, 2021, Darren had a successful sold-out digital concert called "Darren: Home Run (The Comeback Concert)". The music video for "Tama Na" was released on June 20, 2021, and topped iTunes music videos. On July 11, 2021, Darren performed at the Bb. Pilipinas' Coronation Night. On August 27, 2021, Star Music released the "Marry Me, Marry You" soundtrack, which included Darren's version of the main theme song.

On April 1, 2022, Darren released "Pabalik Sa'yo" under UMUSIC Philippines. The song and its lyric video quickly reached high spots on iTunes. On April 26, 2022, Darren was a special guest at P-pop group Calista's concert. He also joined the EZ Mil: Panalo Homecoming Tour 2022. On June 9, 2022, Darren worked with English singer Calum Scott on a version of Scott's song, "Heaven". On June 11, 2022, Darren was a guest artist at Anne Curtis' concert. In July 2022, he joined Vice Ganda's Fully VICE-cinated US Tour 2022.

On July 8, 2022, Republic Records Philippines was launched, and Darren is one of their artists. The same day, a teaser for Lyric and Beat, a musical series starring Darren, was released. The series premiered on August 10, 2022. Two songs from the series, "Pagbigyang Muli" and "Duyan," sung by Darren, reached number 5 on iTunes.

In 2023, Darren performed at various events, including New Year's Eve and Chinese New Year celebrations. On February 21, 2023, Darren became a judge ("Hurado") on "Tawag ng Tanghalan," a segment of It's Showtime.

Darren in 2024

In 2024, It's Showtime moved to GMA Network and later expanded to All TV. Darren was officially introduced as one of the show's new hosts during the contract signing.

Giving Back: Charitable Work

On April 15, 2020, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines named Darren Espanto as its first-ever celebrity Youth Advocate. He helps promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on climate action, protecting nature, and empowering young people. On September 29, 2021, Darren was reappointed for a second term as a UNDP Philippines Youth Advocate.

On January 16, 2022, Darren was the main performer for the "By Request (a Benefit Concert)" series by ABS-CBN. This concert raised P464,000 to help victims of Typhoon Odette.

Darren Espanto's Film and TV Appearances

Espanto (third to the right), along with the cast from When I Met You in Tokyo in the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival in Navotas

Television Shows

Online Shows

Movies

Darren Espanto's Music Albums

Studio Albums

Special Albums

Singles

Promotional Singles

Darren's Legacy and Achievements

Espanto performing in 2014

Darren Espanto is known as “Asia's Pop Heartthrob” by many media groups. He was the youngest artist to have a sold-out solo concert at MOA Arena. He has won over 70 awards, including 15 Wish Music Awards, 8 Awit Awards, and 8 Myx Music Awards.

He performed for Pope Francis during the 2015 Papal Visit at the UST. He has also headlined a show at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York. Darren has performed for presidents and important guests during ASEAN Summits and APEC meetings. He was recently chosen as the first celebrity Youth Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Darren is one of the most successful and best-selling artists of the past ten years in the Philippines. Billboard reported that his first album, “Darren,” sold over 30,000 copies in the Philippines, earning a 2x Platinum certification. His second album, “Be With Me,” sold 15,000 copies and was certified Gold.

Chart Performance

Darren Espanto's Concerts

As Concert Headliner

As Supporting Act or Guest Performer

See also

In Spanish: Darren Espanto para niños