” When others went out and chase after girls, I spent time making music, writing lyrics and working on publishing my own music.”
What is your story, who is DaSilvian?
My name is Dasilvian Leroy Bruce, a 25 year old singer/songwriter/producer from Amsterdam and originally from Suriname. I am the youngest out of four kids. I have one brother and two sisters. My parents divorced when I was in primary school which made our bond as a family with a single mother very strong until this day. I grew up in Geuzenveld which is in the West part of Amsterdam. We lived in a tough neighborhood where a lot of people were struggling to make ends meet. A lot of people in the area developed their talents in sports, music, dance and art. My sisters used to dance and my brother played football every day. Music found me when I was thirteen years old. At school, we had to sing a song as a school project and after I sang (Jagged Edge – All out of Love) the teacher graded me a 9 out of 10 with the feedback to really pursue singing.
What is your passion in life?
My passion in life is to spread love and awareness through my music. In my opinion the world could use some more love and people should try to understand the different ethnicities in the world in order to discover its beauty and rareness.
How long have you been making music?
I have been making music since I was eighteen years old. I just played on my keyboard memorizing the chords using my ears to determine whether something sounded good without knowing anything about reading notes. When others went out and chase after girls, I spent time making music, writing lyrics and working on publishing my own music.
Do you have other hobbies or crazy habits?
My other hobbies are football and travelling. I have been playing football since I was five. I like to see (dream)places I have never been to.
One of my crazy habits is that I try to match my underwear and socks with my outfit. I like to wear funny or odd socks just so it won’t be a basic color. You will never catch me in a yellow outfit with green or red underwear. *Laughs out loud*
Another crazy habit of mine is when I sleep I tend to snuggle up under the covers like a caterpillar and make a small hole so I can breathe fresh air and sleep like that. I love it!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
I see myself travelling around the world with my portable studio, working with local artists as I travel between villages and cities making music for movies, video games and making singles for people to listen to. A part of the money that I will be making, will be invested in the different communities so it can bring forth healthier living conditions and proper education in order to inspire the people to chase their dreams. Also, will that encourage children to just live out their childhood and encourage them to make their own music.
What does it mean to be a Melanated man for you in the Netherlands?
To me it means that I am a role model to our next generation just like any other melanated person. It is my responsibility to show our kids that despite the struggles such as feeling dishonesty or experiencing maltreatment we have to be there for one another and that we should strive for the best circumstances for us and create more unity among our people. I don’t feel like they consider me a Dutch man but they see me as a Surinam man born in the Netherlands. Which is completely fine by me because the color of my skin or where I come from does not determine whether I am a kind-hearted person or not.
What does the word Melanin remind you of?
Melanin reminds me of all that there is in life, pure existence of life as we know it. The thing that unites all black men and women. A gift to mankind with its unique abilities.
Do you think that a Melanin platform is necessary in the media ?
I do think a melanin platform is necessary in the media because there should be a place where melanin people should come together and exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas to help each other grow as a person and discover new insights. For a long period of time the media would use the: ‘black doesn’t sell well’ statement and that they would only sell if it was for entertainment purposes. Today, I see this is getting better and better. With a Melanin platform we can magnify this improving trend even more.
Where can we find you?
You can find me on my website and social media channels :
www.dasilvianbruce.com
Instagram: @dasilvianbruce
Facebook: @dasilvian bruce
Twitter: @dasilvianbruce
Spotify: @dasilvian bruce
Soundcloud: @dasilvian bruce
And of course you can come to one of my gigs if you want to meet in person!
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