Daniela Darcourt reflects on depression and how she overcame it, talks about her new album and responds to criticism for her look

Owner of a career that began at the age of eight, the Peruvian artist (1996, La Victoria) is very clear that she wants to make music all her life; but more than claiming praise or recognition, she seeks to leave a legacy and a story that serves as inspiration and motivation for those who want to pursue a career linked to art.

─ “That’s me” is a phrase you always repeat and it’s the name of your first album. Who is Daniela Darcourt?

I am Daniela Darcourt, the crazy one, unleashed, who always says what she thinks on and off stage. The history of that phrase is funny. When I’m going to go solo, I record 10 songs and they ask me for a slogan, but since I can’t think of any, I turn to Paula Arias and the manager of Son Tentación. Together we make a list with the phrases that she always repeated when she was in the group and after more than an hour of exchanging ideas, between pisco and nasca, we chose her.

─ Has it been difficult for you to become the woman you are today?

It has not been easy. After two years, three months, and three days at Son Tentación, I decided to jump from a springboard I don’t know how many meters high into a pool that I didn’t know if it had water or not.. It took me two months to make the decision because I had doubts, I trusted my work, but people didn’t know me that much, I felt that a solo career at that time was risky. I jumped in anyway and the day I debuted, June 8, 2018, at 1:30 am, I got a big surprise. The sauce house was packed, there wasn’t even a pin.

─What do you remember of that debut?

Everything happened to me, my wardrobe broke, the make-up artist fell asleep, he never came, I had to do my own make-up, in the car, with fifteen minutes to go before going on stage. That’s how I started and since then I haven’t stopped, it’s sacrificed and tired, many times I’ve wanted to be in a meadow and like a five-year-old girl, jump and play, without responsibilities.

─ Do you feel like you skipped stages?

Now that I’m an adult, I can tell you no because I haven’t been one of the typical girls who schedules their weekend to meet or go out with someone, I grew up with my grandparents and I had good old-fashioned values, I’m one of the people who believe in marriage and happy endings.

─Did you have to give up a dream for music?

I would have liked to play a little more soccer, get muddy on the land in my neighborhood, but I also appreciate and applaud the decision I made: to do what I do today.

─A few years ago you said you felt too young to manage a team of almost 40 people. Do you still feel the same?

I was 22 years old when I said that and I was starting out as a solo singer, I am currently 26, responsibilities change, the workload is greater; but I have also acquired more experience and preparation. It’s been good, amazing. With effort, tears, sacrifice and support from the public, I have achieved what I currently have.

─Is it true that when you left Son Tentación to start a solo career, a strong picture of depression led you to want to attempt against your life three times?

It is true that I became depressed, I isolated myself from many things, from my family, friends, and on three occasions -I have said it publicly- sometimes when you are young you think that it is better not to be there because you do not know if you are going to bear so much load or if it really is for you. Thanks to the help of people around me I did not fall into that ugly holeso when someone talks about their anxiety, depression or frustrations, believe me, I identify a lot.

─In these times, how do you assume the difficult moments?

One of the weapons that I have in my favor is that it has always been me and I always tell my people the truth: if I feel good, if I’m frustrated, if I cry, well in the end I am a human being. Who has not been frustrated in life? Who has not had a giant dream and left it because something happened? I live that every day, it is a constant in my life. It is difficult to be an artist, it is very self-sacrificing, I recently returned from Las Vegas and you don’t know all the wave of information I had there, the good interviews, how nice they talk about what we are doing here and how little we do. Now I have professional help, a team that lightens my load a bit, but there are people who don’t and instead of criticizing them, we should support them, lift their spirits, consume what they offer because we don’t know how much sacrifice is behind it.

Are you working on any new production?

A third album is definitely coming, I’m already in the whole creative facet, then I’m going to lock myself in the studio again and continue searching, knocking on doors. I want to be a source of inspiration and motivation for many who are suddenly seeing me, who are listening to me and who also want to make music and find it difficult, I want to leave a legacy.

─How was your first official tour of the United States with Tito Nieves?

It was a tour of a month and a week, we had twelve shows in 12 cities. The acceptance of the public was definitely very nice, but it was very tiring to go from one place to another, the whole group living in the same house, driving all over the United States, speaking blessed English to be able to communicate. I also had my first approach with the Latin Grammys, you don’t know how many interviews there are, media from all over the world.

─Is it difficult to gain a position as a woman within this industry in our country?

The truth is that it is and I think that it becomes increasingly difficult due to the famous stereotypes. The issue of personal life goes into great detail, because if you are single for more than a year, you are from the other side; And if you are with someone who has not achieved the same as you or is not known, they are surely looking to hang on to your fame. There is also the issue of how you look or dress, what you project, that you should show your legs if you are a solo singer or a woman. In these times that is something stupid, nobody criticizes Bad Bunny because she wears a pink skirt, and why we are forced to show her body, to be thin. It has cost me many times to reveal myself against that.

─The day you sang the national anthem in Peru Paraguay for qualifying for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, they criticized your look. How did you receive the reviews?

Whitney Houston, one of the greatest and most imposing voices in music worldwide, sang the United States national anthem in a white sweatshirt with blue and red stripes. Becky G sang the national anthem of the United States before the duel of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees with a polo shirt and jean. How did they want it to be? With a bow and a gala dress? I am a soccer fan, I love playing soccer and I am a fan of the Peruvian team. After singing, I stayed to watch the entire game and shouted the two goals they scored together with the more than 50,000 people who attended. I did not want to pretend, it was also a request from the same organization, I aligned myself with its parameters.

You have no idea the emotion I felt, the adrenaline rush of singing the national anthem and everything going well. These are things that I will never forget and I will not feel bad for the comment of one or two people.

─If you had not been a singer, what would you have liked to be?

She would have calmly been a striker for the Alianza Lima women’s soccer team or the Peruvian women’s soccer team.

─Are your songs inspired by your experiences?

Definitely, yes, and I think it will be a law that I will not be able to change, since it would not be the same to tell something that I have not experienced. After the pandemic we understood that we are all the same and “Frente al espejo” reflects that. We are vulnerable beings, we cry and we fall. “Out” is a song that empowers many women, when Johnny Lau, the author of the song, passed it to me, I felt identified because I’m not the same as a year ago. Now a very cool album is coming, possibly one of the best.

─ Are the songs on your new album going to reflect that beautiful love that you are experiencing with your partner, Jeremy Montalva?

Until now I have not written anything about love and beyond how beautiful I am living and how I am maintaining it, I think it is also to vindicate myself with my fans who are happily married, engaged or in love. I owed it to them and I also owed it to myself because I’m romantic, I just got used to the empowerment of my songs that have caught me, but yes, I’m going to bring out nice things about love.

Odyssey New Year Fest

─Tito Nieves says he sees you making movies. How are your acting projects going?

In fact, there are several plans that are there, waiting, because I was an improvisational actress for many years and I would like to do something, I don’t rule it out; but I can’t confirm it either. What I can confirm is that this December 31 I will be at the Odisea New Year Fest event at the Green Arena, in Lurín, together with great artists. Lil Silvio & El Vega, Demphra, Víctor Muñoz, Los Bacanos and other artists will be there.

─How do you receive praise and recognition?

The recognition and good words of others towards one and even more so if it is about these great ones, I think it is everything. It is worth more than an award or a statuette because those who heard it will say: “Hey, this little girl who doesn’t bathe every day is growing up.” Tito Nieves, in addition to being like a father to me, he has become part of the team, he is always monitoring me, he gives me recommendations, advice, he tells me anecdotes, stories. Imagine a cute old man, in a rocking chair, speaking to you with love and calm every day. If it were up to him, he would have already adopted me and I would be living there, he doesn’t have a heavy hand or desire.

─And are you always going to live abroad?

I think I’m still not ready to give up my grilled chicken, my sausage, my breakfasts… It’s not easy, I have my space here, I live from my art, from my effort; outside it would practically be a start from scratch. I’m not ruling it out, but I can’t say it’s in the short term either. The most important thing this year is to enjoy it to the fullest.

─Are you happy?

I am happy with how little or how much I have, with the few or many fans I have, I am happy with my family, with the few friends I have left, with my music, my team. I am happy at home, cooking, watching movies, dreaming that the world will be better. I am happy like this without masks, without things that bind me to having to pretend all the time, I am happy because I am very revolutionary, a free soul and I think I always will be.

─ Do you feel successful?

I don’t think I’ll ever feel successful because that’s the key to keep growing. The less you believe it, the bigger you will be and the better results you will have.

─What would you say to the adolescent Daniela, not famous?

That he play more and think about it a little more because what is coming is very difficult. I wouldn’t tell him not to do it, but to do it a little later, from 20 onwards.