One year after he won in “The Voice” US competition in December 2024, Sofronio Vasquez doesn’t stop updating his calendar about activities and shuttling between the US and the Philippines for commitments.
“It’s really interesting that people know I won in ‘The Voice’ for one year already,” Vasquez told ABS-CBN News. “For me, parang kahapon lang. If I look back, wala talaga akong tigil sa trabaho.
“I am very grateful and blessed. When I first returned to the Philippines after I won, in January last year when I did a courtesy call to the President, 2025 was a whole year round of activities for me.”
Sofronio VasquezLast December, he was invited to join the Ayala Makati New Year countdown. That’s why he went home and got to spend Christmas with his family in Marikina.
Vasquez cannot be thankful enough for all the blessings. “I opened ‘Showtime’ on ABS-CBN for the New Year,” he shared. “The year 2025 was a great year for me and that will even extend to 2026.”
He is also preparing for his forthcoming Valentine’s concert, “Champions of the Heart,” on February 14 at Newport World Resorts, mounted by Anna Puno’s Starmedia Entertainment. Vasquez is excited to share the stage with concert king Martin Nievera. Also joining him are singing champions Jed Madela, Jona and Klarisse de Guzman.
“We are trying to do the concert the best way we could and John Prats will be our director,” Vasquez said.
He will leave for the US in mid-January to work on his EP (extended play), that will contain nine songs, produced by Michael Bublé, his coach on “The Voice.” Vasquez will have recordings and meetings with some “very exciting persons” then return to Manila for his Valentine’s concert, a really loaded and busy schedule early in the year.
“We start the year right,” said Vasquez “Thank you, Lord.”
Vasquez recorded two Christmas songs, a duet with Bublé, a song with composer David Foster and three original songs. He earlier did a single launch in the US.
Sofronio Vasquez
For January and February, Vasquez will grace streaming platforms and release a song with Bublé and Paul Anka.
Restaurant opening
Vasquez was a recent guest in the opening of Siklab restaurant, the first Filipino dining place from The Bistro Group, known for bringing to the country such popular dining concepts as TGI Fridays and Italianni’s.
He rendered a medley of songs from Nievera, one of his favorite icons in the local music scene. “Even before I did ‘The Voice,’ Sir Martin has been my favorite,” Vasquez said. “Up to this day, kinakabahan pa rin ako when I perform in front of an audience. More so when I see Filipinos in front of me.”
Vasquez invited the crowd to sing with him and he was surprised with the reaction as they knew Nievera’s songs by heart. “It was like a choir singing when I performed,” Vasquez said. “Lahat tayo kumakanta.”
In his set list are Nievera’s popular songs like “Say That You Love Me,” “The Promise,” “Be My Lady,” “You Are My Song“ and “Kahit Isang Saglit.”
Even if he has been shuttling between the US and the Philippines, Vasquez still carries the Filipino in him when he eats. His favorites are still kare-kare and gising gising, which he readily ordered from the all-Filipino menu of Siklab.
“I was able to talk to the president of The Bistro Group, Jean Paul Manuud, and I thanked him for championing Filipino food for Siklab,” Vasquez said. “This will be a way to step out of our comfort sone because The Bistro Group is known for its foreign chains. And it really is an interesting part for me. Even if I’m based in America, I still prefer Filipino food.”
Surprisingly, Vasquez knows how to cook Filipino food. “Any Filipino dish, I can do it,” Vasquez beamed. “I can cook kare-kare. During pandemic, I sold biko here in the Philippines. Ginagawa ko ‘yun, bila-bilao. That was in 2020.
“Iba kasi ang food natin. In the US, I miss gising-gising. When I cook, I rely on YouTube University and TikTok University. I follow their culinary classes. When you love to eat and you know the dish, alam mo ang timpla, you can easily cook it.”
Filipino singer Sofronio Vasquez wins 'The Voice USA'
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