Collins: Good Morning Darren, welcome to our show Collins' Music around us! Thanks for joining us this morning.
Darren: Good morning Collins, thanks for having me.
Collins: You're always welcome with us. Now let's get to business shall we?
Darren: Well of course.
Collins: With your most recent album out now how excited are you about it?
Darren: I am very excited Collins. I have a message to share and I can't wait for my music to do that for me.
Collins: Interesting, interesting. Your album is called, "Syrian love" and its topic is Syrian refugees. Now Darren what inspired you to choose to make an album about Syria? Do you have any affiliation with some Syrians, family, friends?
Darren: Actually no Collins, I am personally not close with any Syrians or anyone of Syrian descent that I know of. I have actually being inspired to write and sing about the issues in Syria because not only is it going on today and I am of Haitian descent.
Collins: Haitian descent huh? How does that connect?
Darren: Well I'm sure many people here if not all heard of the Haitian earthquake of January 12th, 2010. After that terrible event, many, and I mean many Haitian survivors found themselves homeless and troublesome so they were forced to flee the country in an attempt to live a better life. A lot of them actually came here to America. During that time, my family hibernated a family member of mine, a cousin. His name was Salomon. He lived with us for several years and growing with him taught me a lot about what it's like to be trapped in a world where you feel scared all the time and you feel helpless and that no one can help you. It's important that I mention that he spent a whole year in Haiti before getting the opportunity to move to America. He would tell me the stories of his time there and I would listen with fascination. He would also have nightmares about the event and I would be there to comfort him. I became so close with him that I began to feel like I know how he feels. I used those emotions to write the album after doing a ton of research on the Syrian refugees situation. Those children being forced out of school, out of a home, out of proper nutrition, out of proper affection. Yeah, that all sounds familiar to me. In fact, I asked Salomon for a lot of advice about the emotion that my album brings out in people before I released it because if anyone I know has an idea what those Syrians are going through, it's him.
Collins: Wow that is fascinating Darren. Before I met you, I have always heard that you are an artist that writes and sings with passion, but now I believe that statement wholeheartedly. I have never met an artist that put that much thought process into writing an album.
Darren: Well thank you Collins, however, if anyone is to get the credit for my thought process, it would be my parents, they raised me and they forced unto me the values that I have today.
Collins: Well thank you Mr and Mrs Mitchell.
Darren and Collins: Hahaha
Collins: So from what I understand Darren, this album is about this kid and Syria and his mother?
Darren: Yes Collins, Salomon was in Haiti with his mother and he also told me about what they went through together. He was a child for God's sake! What did he do to deserve that? What did children in Syria do to deserve that?
Collins: I ask myself the same question quite often Darren.
Darren: It's really sad, Collins. Sometimes I just wanna tear up about it.
Collins: Well Darren, no one would blame you or judge you. Our time is up unfortunately but it was great having you with us today, I hope your message spread as you intended it to. Darren Mitchell everyone!
Darren: Thank you, Collins. Thanks everyone!
*Everyone claps, Darren leaves*
Darren: Good morning Collins, thanks for having me.
Collins: You're always welcome with us. Now let's get to business shall we?
Darren: Well of course.
Collins: With your most recent album out now how excited are you about it?
Darren: I am very excited Collins. I have a message to share and I can't wait for my music to do that for me.
Collins: Interesting, interesting. Your album is called, "Syrian love" and its topic is Syrian refugees. Now Darren what inspired you to choose to make an album about Syria? Do you have any affiliation with some Syrians, family, friends?
Darren: Actually no Collins, I am personally not close with any Syrians or anyone of Syrian descent that I know of. I have actually being inspired to write and sing about the issues in Syria because not only is it going on today and I am of Haitian descent.
Collins: Haitian descent huh? How does that connect?
Darren: Well I'm sure many people here if not all heard of the Haitian earthquake of January 12th, 2010. After that terrible event, many, and I mean many Haitian survivors found themselves homeless and troublesome so they were forced to flee the country in an attempt to live a better life. A lot of them actually came here to America. During that time, my family hibernated a family member of mine, a cousin. His name was Salomon. He lived with us for several years and growing with him taught me a lot about what it's like to be trapped in a world where you feel scared all the time and you feel helpless and that no one can help you. It's important that I mention that he spent a whole year in Haiti before getting the opportunity to move to America. He would tell me the stories of his time there and I would listen with fascination. He would also have nightmares about the event and I would be there to comfort him. I became so close with him that I began to feel like I know how he feels. I used those emotions to write the album after doing a ton of research on the Syrian refugees situation. Those children being forced out of school, out of a home, out of proper nutrition, out of proper affection. Yeah, that all sounds familiar to me. In fact, I asked Salomon for a lot of advice about the emotion that my album brings out in people before I released it because if anyone I know has an idea what those Syrians are going through, it's him.
Collins: Wow that is fascinating Darren. Before I met you, I have always heard that you are an artist that writes and sings with passion, but now I believe that statement wholeheartedly. I have never met an artist that put that much thought process into writing an album.
Darren: Well thank you Collins, however, if anyone is to get the credit for my thought process, it would be my parents, they raised me and they forced unto me the values that I have today.
Collins: Well thank you Mr and Mrs Mitchell.
Darren and Collins: Hahaha
Collins: So from what I understand Darren, this album is about this kid and Syria and his mother?
Darren: Yes Collins, Salomon was in Haiti with his mother and he also told me about what they went through together. He was a child for God's sake! What did he do to deserve that? What did children in Syria do to deserve that?
Collins: I ask myself the same question quite often Darren.
Darren: It's really sad, Collins. Sometimes I just wanna tear up about it.
Collins: Well Darren, no one would blame you or judge you. Our time is up unfortunately but it was great having you with us today, I hope your message spread as you intended it to. Darren Mitchell everyone!
Darren: Thank you, Collins. Thanks everyone!
*Everyone claps, Darren leaves*