Filipino singer Sofronio Vasquez was recently crowned the first Asian champion in The Voice USA. He prevailed in the season 26 finale of the hit reality competition show.
Vasquez's victory did not come as a surprise as he was perceived as the frontrunner in the days leading up to the airing of the finale, but it was a historic moment nonetheless that is worth celebrating.
Meet Sofronio Vasquez, The Voice Season 26 Champion
Vasquez was born and raised in Mindanao, Philippines. Ever since he was a kid, he has always taken a great interest in music and aspired to be a singer someday.
In 2019, he joined the Philippine singing reality competition series Tawag ng Tanghalan (lit. Call of the Stage) where he ranked third place in the semifinals. However, he was able to gain a lot of following as viewers were impressed by his talent.
He participated in other local singing competition programs and delved into songwriting which led to the release of the Tagalog-language single "Bakit Hindi Ko Sinabi" (lit. Why Didn't I Say).
Sometime later, Vasquez decided to take a step back from his singing career to pursue a career in dentistry.
After his father passed away, Vasquez made a decision to pursue his passion for music once again and moved to the United States.
He found his way in New York where he juggled multiple jobs such as dental assistant while also forging his path to the music scene in America.
Sofronio Vasquez's Journey in The Voice
Vasquez auditioned in The Voice season 26 with his take on Mary J. Blige’s "I’m Goin’ Down." All judges turned on him and he chose Michael Buble as his mentor.
Since the beginning of his journey in the series, he was an instant favorite for many viewers as they were impressed by his range and versatility throughout the many performances that he has done in the season.
In the end, he prevailed as the season 26 champion. It's also impressive for his coach Michael Buble as he managed to be a winning mentor in his debut season in the series.
"I can't wait to just be celebrating the opportunity and forever in my life, [Michael Buble] is gonna be the biggest gift," Vasquez said in a post-finale interview after being crowned the winner.
Despite the challenges and setbacks, Vasquez managed to make his dream come true and make history. There is no doubt that his home country is also proud of his achievement and will be celebrated as he managed to show the greatness of Filipinos in a global music stage.
What do you think of Vasquez's winning turn in The Voice? Let us know in the comments!
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