Sofronio Vasquez, the first Asian to win ‘The Voice’ US, proudly honored his roots on ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ (TNT), a singing competition of ‘It’s Showtime’, as he reflected on his historic victory.
In a heartfelt video call with ‘It’s Showtime’ hosts Ogie Alcasid, Kim Chiu, Vice Ganda, and others, Vasquez shared his emotional journey from local competitions to international stardom.
“Napaka-emotional po ng naging panalo ko,” he said. “Nanginginig ako habang shine-share ko ‘to sa inyo kasi parang pangarap ko lang po ito dati. Proud ako na nagsimula ako sa Tawag ng Tanghalan at ang It’s Showtime ang unang naniwala sa akin.”
Vasquez first joined ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ in 2016 but did not make it to the finals. He returned in 2017, advancing to the semifinals. In 2019, he joined the ‘TNT All-Star Grand Resbak’, where he became a grand finalist.
Despite these setbacks, Vasquez’s determination paid off when he was crowned the champion of ‘The Voice’ US Season 26.
During his journey, Vasquez found inspiration in the words of Rey Valera, the former head judge of ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’. In a video he shared on social media, Valera’s advice to Vasquez became a defining moment:
“Kung hindi ka man ngitian ng Lady Luck ngayon, I’m sure dahil ‘yon sa alam niya na ikaw ang gagawa ng sarili mong swerte at hindi mo siya kailangan. Because ‘yung ganyang klaseng tao, you will always find your way.”
These words guided Vasquez, helping him persevere through challenges in his career.
For aspiring artists, Vasquez emphasized the importance of resilience: “Siguro ang pinakamagandang advice na ibibigay ko, kahit ilang beses ka na-reject, hindi talaga siya nagpapatunay na wala ka nang chance,” he said.
“Sino ba naman kasi ang mag-iisip na ako, Bisaya na galing sa Mindanao, trying to just be someone in music? Lahat ng auditions sinubukan ko, pero 10 years after, tsaka pa lang naibigay sa akin. So hindi mo lang talaga titigilan,” he added.
In his victory speech, Vasquez expressed gratitude to Filipinos around the world for their support: “Sa lahat po ng Pilipino, lahat po ng ating madlang pipol, sa lahat po ng mga Filipino-Americans, maraming, maraming salamat po. Pinatunayan po natin na kahit dito sa America po ay hindi pwedeng talunin ‘yung lakas, sipag, at pananampalataya ng isang Pilipino. Kahit saan, namamayagpag po.”
As The Voice US champion, Vasquez received $100,000 (approximately ₱5.8 million) and a record deal with Universal Music Group, the label behind global stars like Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys, Harry Styles, and Adele.
