Buble’s association with the Philippines and his extraordinary praise for the amateur singer may have led to their collaboration.
Key Takeaways
- Filipino singer Sofronio chose Michael Buble out of the 4 judges on “The Voice.”
- Sofronio shared a heartfelt personal story about his hardships back in his home country.
- Michael Buble has had numerous associations with the Philippines and has much adoration for the country.
Michael Buble, the Canadian singer-songwriter, is one of the judges for “The Voice,” for season 26 of the NBC singing show.
In the latest episode, Filipino artist Sofronio Vasquez gave a 4-chair turning performance, earning the praise of all judges and a spot on Buble’s team.
The 31-year-old artist shared a heartfelt personal story that resonated with the judges and the audience.
Vasquez explained that growing up in a poor neighborhood in Mindanao, Philippines, he viewed singing as a way out of poverty.
From a young age, he was a natural singer in a country where karaoke has an “Olympic-like” status.
The Filipino singer further shared that he lived in a one-room house with his parents and three siblings and had attempted to enter a local singing competition TV show.
However, his father’s sudden passing in 2018 made him drop out of his singing dreams and step up as the family’s breadwinner.
Vasquez quoted,
I really want to be somebody who can help my family back there. If I get a chair turn, it’s going to be big for my family and help me provide a life that they deserve.
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After his performance, in which he sang “I’m Goin’ Down” by the soul group Rose Royce, he didn’t get one chair turn but four.
The judges praised the Filipino artist, with Stefani calling it “a Grammy performance” and McEntire saying, “I could not hit my button fast enough.”
All four judges, Gwen Stefani, Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, and Michael Bublé, offered Vasquez a spot on their teams, but he ultimately chose Buble.
Perhaps Buble’s extraordinary praise and his associations with the Philippines won him over. He had said,
This is what this show was named after. It was named for you, the voice.
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However, this is not the first and only association between Michael Buble and Vasquez’s home country, the Philippines.
Buble has been an avid admirer of the country and has served as the spokesperson for a Filipino live-streaming service, Kumu.
He also judged a Filipino live-stream-based singing competition, “Sing with the Stars,” back in 2022.
Before that, he also performed a concert there, “Live in Manila,” in 2015.
According to an Instagram post, he has visited the country numerous times and plans to keep visiting in the future.
As Michael Buble receives his first pick for his team for “The Voice 2024,” many fans of Buble and Sofronio Vasquez eagerly wait to see how their collaboration molds the amateur singer into a rising star.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Michael Bublé turned down offers to join “The Voice” as a coach over 15 times because he felt uncomfortable judging other singers.
- Bublé’s music is heavily influenced by jazz and swing.
- Unlike many other talent shows, “The Voice” emphasizes coaching over judging.
