Sofronio Vasquez | Photography by Rxandy CapinpinOne thing the success story of The Voice US Season 26 winner Sofronio Vasquez can remind us of is that dreams do come true. But those dreams don’t come to us in the blink of an eye; oftentimes, they enter the picture after many sleepless nights. But for Sofronio, his hard work, struggles, and pain made living his dream more meaningful and rewarding.
“Makulit nga talaga ako [I’m really persistent],” Sofronio told Metro.Style, fondly recalling his teenage years and his family’s humble life in Mindanao, Philippines. “Nagamit ko rin ’yung kakulitan ko to pursue my dream. Kasi kinulit ko rin ’yung pangarap ko. Kinulit ko rin ’yung pagkakataon to reach that dream [I was also able to use my being persistent to pursue my dream. Because I was persistent toward my dream. I was persistent about the chance to reach that dream].“
The competition show’s finale was like a full circle moment for Sofronio, the first Filipino and Asian to have ever won The Voice US. It was like the culmination of his dreams, as he sang the lyrics of his winning song, “A Million Dreams,“ with heartwarming soulfulness: “Every night I lie in bed / The brightest colors fill my head / A million dreams are keeping me awake…” Everything about that performance was like a dreamy flashback of his life so far, rising above a dark, sad past where success seemed elusive then emerging into light in a moment where he’s finally seen and celebrated.
At the blind audition for The Voice US Season 26, Sofronio sang Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Goin’ Down,” and he made such a great impression that he got an instant 4-chair turn from coaches Michael Bublé, Gwen Stefani, Reba McEntire, and Snoop Dogg. After delivering a powerful and soulful version of that song, it was crystal clear there was no other way but up for Sofronio.
“I could not hit my button fast enough. Your voice is like butter. It is so easy on the ears but your soulfulness touched my heart,” Reba told Sofronio. Gwen complimented him, saying, “That was a Grammy performance,” adding that she wanted to be inspired by him. Snoop was determined to get him on his team, as he told him, “This is where you need to be, Team Snoop… get in where you fit in.”
In the end, Sofronio picked coach Michael, who was on his debut season in The Voice. The iconic Canadian singer-songwriter has a soft spot for Filipinos and instantly connected with the aspiring contestant from Misamis Occidental. Michael told Sofronio, “Your people are such beautiful people. I can’t even imagine how proud you’re going to make them. There’s something that is so inherently beautiful about music for you. Dude, I had goosebumps. I’m emotional. I’m trying to swallow because I’m emotional. I want this relationship. It’s going past whatever happens in this competition. I think you’re going to help me win this competition. You’re going to win.”
Looking back, it was like Michael helped manifest this victory. After all, this was a first for both of them. But Sofronio, too, has firmly held on to the power of manifestation from the start of his The Voice US journey. Here’s another thing we can all learn from Sofronio’s story: manifesting works! “I always go for manifestation,” he said. “Every time. Mina-manifest ko ’yun every day. Narininig ko sa sarili ko, ‘The winner of The Voice Season 26 is Sofronio.’ Nangyari ’yan. The power of manifestation talaga [I would manifest that every day. I could hear ‘The winner of The Voice Season 26 is Sofronio.’ That happened. It was really the power of manifestation].” With a whisper to the universe, today, he’s drawing loud cheers and applause from the people he has inspired and touched with his music.
For Sofronio, who calls himself “hari ng audition” [king of audition] because of the countless times he joined singing competitions, his goal has always been to win—and it wasn’t simply because he wanted to boost his confidence and get validation, it’s always been because he wants to help his family. When asked to recall his childhood in Mindanao, he had great memories of quality time with his parents and two brothers despite them living in a slum. After having experienced that kind of life, Sofronio said, “I’m super proud that that also helped me love and appreciate the value of money.”
He regaled us with stories of his early ventures into school singing competitions. “Namulat din ako ng maaga sa ambisyon [I also became aware of ambition early on]. And that ambition is music,” Sofronio said, citing his father as his biggest musical influence. “Namulat ako ng pagmamahal sa music when, of course, makikita ko si Papa na kumakanta-kanta, kasi Papa really sings [I discovered my love for music when I would see my father singing because he really sings],” he shared, remembering his father who succumbed to kidney failure in 2018.
Like a traditional Filipino family, he grew up singing karaoke, almost like a daily or weekly habit. Sofronio loves OPM songs like the ones by Gary Valenciano and Regine Velasquez. Who knew that one day he would be singing with them onstage? As someone who auditioned for many competition shows by ABS-CBN, it was Sofronio’s dream to step on the network’s ASAP stage. Earlier this month, that dream finally came true when the musical variety show prepared a homecoming segment that saw him performing alongside Gary, Regine, Ogie Alcasid, Martin Nievera, Zsa Zsa Padilla, and Erik Santos.
“I’m always inspired by people who always know how to dream,” he said. Inspiration as a never-ending cycle that creates a ripple effect in life is another lesson we can realize from Sofronio’s journey. He also returned to the It’s Showtime stage, where he was once a “Tawag Ng Tanghalan” contestant. That homecoming moment, Sofronio said, gave him “a whole definition of humility.“
“It really pays to be humble,“ he reflected. “Kahit gaano kalaki ’yung achievement mo, kailangan mo kasing makinig at kailangan mo mapa-realize sa lahat ng tao na ‘O, kaya mong abutin ’yung pangarap.’ So, me being so emotional on that stage is just a representation of me being grateful na, finally, ’yung pinaghirapan ko, na-recognize nila and na-inspire ko sila. Naiisip ko rin naman na sobrang na-inspire ako for them being so inspired [by] me. So, kumbaga, ano lang siya, chain. Na-inspire nila ako, na-inspire ko sila. And I want to keep that cycle always lang, and be humble as always [No matter how big your achievement is, you need to listen and you need to make people realize that they can reach their dream. So, me being so emotional on that stage is just a representation of me being grateful that, finally, they recognized what I worked hard for, and I inspired them. I also think that I am so inspired that they are inspired by me. So, it is just like a chain. They inspired me, and I inspired them. And I just want to keep that cycle always, and be humble as always].“
The dreamer and crooner from the province is now a source of inspiration in the Philippines and even abroad. As the embodiment of someone who kept trying despite fate turning him down many times, Sofronio understands that failures were inevitable and are part of why he is as strong and passionate as he is today. All those rejections prepared him for this epic win on the global stage.
Sofronio’s authenticity, sincerity, and humility radiate amid this incredible feat. And every chance he gets, he honors his roots in the Philippines and his core, his family. His ultimate source of inspiration will always be his parents who, despite their difficult situation in life, worked hard to give him and his siblings a good education. “Hindi kami sobrang hirap. I just want to emphasize that. Pero hindi kami well-off… My father, pina-pursue niya talaga na mag-aral kami. Kasi, in fact, I believe this is a compliment for my family, out of all my cousins, kami lang ’yung nakapag-graduate ng college kasi dream niya talaga. Kasi na-experience niya mahirap e, wala siyang pera. So, as a family, sobra naming vina-value ’yung simplicity… Simple lang talaga kami as a family, but we are so happy.”
His dream of uplifting his family’s life and providing for them led him to try his luck in the United States, where he first worked as a singer on a cruise ship and then as a dental assistant in Utica, New York. At the time, having a milestone in music seemed like a distant dream, so he decided to put that dream to sleep for a while. But then the opportunity to join the Apollo Amateur Night singing contest in New York came and reignited his passion for music. “Naramdaman ko na, ‘Aba, akala ko hindi ako papatok.’ Of course, that’s America. So, nu’ng napansin ako du’n, umabot ako ng semifinals, nagkaroon ako ng eagerness to join The Voice.”
The opportunity to join The Voice US, which put him against thousands of hopefuls, is already a big win for him. But he was determined to make his lifelong dream of winning in a competition come true. And so, he stepped on that stage and delivered mind-blowing performances one after another. The next thing he knew, host Carson Daly was already announcing him as the winner, just as he imagined and manifested.
During The Voice, Sofronio struck the ideal balance between embracing the pressure and letting himself be at peace, as coach Michael would remind him. “Sinasabi ko nga, andito na ako, e di gagawin ko na hanggang kaya ko. ’Bahala na’ but calculated [I would say that since I am already here, might as well do it as long as I can. ’Come what may’ but calculated],” he said of his approach in the competition.
According to Sofronio, the song choices were among the most challenging aspects of The Voice. He’s been singing pretty much his whole life, with Michael even joking that he “could sing the phone book.” His voice quality, range, and versatility are remarkable. But aside from being a competition, The Voice is also hinged on mentorship and helping aspiring artists discover and shape their identity in music. “’Yung mga binibigay na song choice sa’kin were very, very hard from my perspective [The song choices they gave me very hard from my perspective]… Ang dami ko nang nakanta dito sa laban ng mga ‘Tawag Ng Tanghalan.’ Gusto kong kumanta du’n sa most comfortable ako [I’ve sung so many songs in my competitions in Tawag Ng Tanghalan. I wanted to sing what I am most comfortable with]. And, they would always give me a song that I am not comfortable [with]. So, chinallenge nila ako [So, they challenged me]. And, I’m always challenging myself.”
As it turned out, song choices like Sia’s “Unstoppable“ and “A Million Dreams“ from The Greatest Showman will speak volumes about his road to the top.
He realized furthermore that going beyond one’s comfort zone could be the key to success. Listening to and embracing constructive criticism are also things Sofronio learned throughout the competition. What’s the best thing he learned from Coach Michael?
“The best thing that I learned from him is to edit. Ang sinabi niya sa akin [He told me], ‘It doesn’t mean that you can, you should,’” he recalled, adding that it was such a valuable input for someone like him who tends to overthink and overdo things.
“You just have to listen,” Michael told him, emphasizing that everything he taught him was merely a suggestion and that it was ultimately up to Sofronio to decide. But because Sofronio listened and found a way to incorporate his own style in the mix, his voice stood out.
The end of the competition, which had him taking home US$100,000 and a contract deal with the Universal Music Group, is just the beginning of a new chapter in his career where dreaming continues. An irresistible blend of pop, traditional, and soul is Sofronio’s vision for his own brand of music. First on his bucket list is a collaboration with his coach, Michael Bublé. He also dreams of working with Olivia Rodrigo, Bruno Mars, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, and David Foster.
Sofronio is living the dream, and that’s because he never stopped working until he reached that dream. “As cliche as it sounds, never stop until you reach that goal,” he told us when asked about the best piece of advice that proved to be work based on his journey. “And when you reach that goal, never stop again. Because we have to learn every time. Kasi naniniwala ako na, every time, every day, may pinapanganak na mas magaling sa akin [Because I believe that, every time, every day, someone better than me is born]. So I need to practice more. I need to learn more. And then I should never stop hanggang kaya ng vocal cords ko [And then I should never stop as long as my vocal cords can handle it].”
He has made his voice heard, and people are listening to him and how his story made history. But his life’s greatest track is a work in progress, and the world is tuned in to where his voice will take him next. One thing’s for sure, wherever that may be, it will always reach people’s hearts and inspire others to dream a million dreams.
