HXS Interview: Art House Director and Musician Amish Darr

A secret no more! Fresh on the scene and making a big splash, Hidden By Soul (HXS for short) is finally giving us the DL on what they’re all about. HXS is New York City’s hottest creative society and they’re letting it be known that they stand for three things: community, fairness, and philanthropy. Each show is the combination of various forms of art, featuring NYC creatives from all walks of life. Let’s break down the vision with one of its founding fathers, Amish Darr.

Native of Pakistan, Amish Darr is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. Amish has seen it all–from the mystic city of Lahore to the concrete streets of Manhattan. In his own words, his eclectic music is, “Thought-provoking, powerful poetry decorated with eastern ragas and western melodies. It is the amalgamation of everything he has experienced.”

During his life, his collection of experiences has led him to infuse his love of music into the larger vision of HXS. Through the screen, Amish explained his role in the creative society, how the vision came to be, and why fairness is the driving force behind the entire artistic endeavor.

It all began with the idea to make an impact on the world through artistry and create positive change through fairness. Amish explains, “Part of the vision behind HXS is to bring people in the NYC creative community together. Let’s be fair to each other. When you treat everyone justly, that opens the doorway to positive change. Regardless of the color of your skin, or where you are from, everyone should be treated with fairness and love." This vision of unity and inclusion trickles down into the artists that are featuring in the event. It’s a beautiful mix of cultures, personalities, and perspectives and each performer is unique.

“Everyone is here because they are doing amazing things. It doesn’t matter who they are. They are the undiscovered gems that deserve a chance to shine,” Amish said. “On this show, we have a little bit of everyone.”

The theme of COLORBLIND is to showcase the soul. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from, everyone who enters the walls of HXS is a human being with a story. “When you attend COLORBLIND, we hope to have each audience member reflect on their identity and the identity of others. The goal is to have everyone leave the show with a bigger heart and a better understanding.”

Not only that, but the HXS team is passionate about giving back. I asked Amish how they plan to do that, and he was just as excited to explain as I was to listen. “All of our shows are tied to a charity and social welfare. Every event comes with a theme and we match that theme to the cause that we want to give back to. We are teaming up with different organizations to create change. For COLORBLIND, we hope to give back to the kids in the community by donating items to the recreations centers across New York City.”

Amish is both on the stage and behind the curtain. He has taken on various roles in the making of this show. However, putting together an exclusive event of this caliber is a massive undertaking and I wanted to know what made him such an unstoppable force. “It’s a miracle.” He said, “All my life experiences have put me in the perfect place to do this and all the people I have met are coming together in this show. From my time in tech, to marketing, to being a certified handyman, a sound engineer, a door to door salesman, working in restaurants, vendor management and artist management. Growing up, I did theatre and my father was an actor, director, and singer so I've always been on and around the stage. And of course, being a musician.” Every experience throughout his life has allowed him to gain the knowledge to be a man who wears many hats during the production of this show. Personally, this is one of my favorite facts of life. In some way or another, every person we meet and every experience we have, has a purpose.

That’s the beauty behind HXS too, it’s bringing people together to network, share their art, and do good.

Of course, I had to know more–specifically how the whole vision came to be and why he was taking on so much. When I asked the notorious “Why are you doing this?” Amish smiled, “You know, I played at every coffee shop, bar, and show in NYC and NJ and came across so many talented, undiscovered artists. I wasn’t being treated fairly at the events or by promoters, and that means the other artists weren’t either. I wanted to change that. That’s the other great thing about HXS. Everyone gets paid what they deserve. Everyone is the star. Everything is fair. You matter and your art matters. We promote fairness to artists, to the community, and to all of humanity.”

Starting with COLORBLIND, HXS plans to shock the soul. As for the venue? It’s seemingly just as incredible. The event space is designed to, “blur the boundaries between the artist and the audience, creating a dream-like atmosphere.” Everything about the event is mystery and magic, complete with a mash-up of live performances from the hidden gems in the NYC artist community.

After speaking with Amish, we can all be sure of one thing, HXS is bursting onto NYC creative scene, fast and furious. The hype for this first event is building quickly and artists around the city are getting ready to finally see what lies behind the walls of HXS. I, for one, am as intrigued as ever.

Especially after asking “What’s next?” Amish laughed, “You have no idea. This is only the beginning.”

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About the event: HXS Presents COLORBLIND. An unforgettable experience features a talented line-up of artists from New York City, an exclusive event space designed to unify the artist and the audience, and a mission to make a difference by serving the underprivileged.

IG: @hiddenbysoul

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About the Musician: A native of Pakistan, singer, songwriter and guitarist, Amish Darr studied in American schools, traveled throughout Europe and finally settled in America. His studies of medical science and information technology stirred his curiosity and led him to profound questions about life. After extensive research and soul searching, he chose a spiritual path that calls out for spiritual unification and acceptance in the words, “Love for all. Hatred for none.” According to Amish Darr, “My music is the sound of my sad soul that cries out for true love. It is the amalgamation of everything I have experienced in life. From heartbreak to spiritual ecstasy, thought-provoking powerful poetry decorated with eastern ragas and western melodies bound to take you on a journey you will never forget.”

IG: @AmishDarr

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