Historic ‘The Voice’ win highlights Filipino excellence in singing
By Bryan Ke
Sofronio Vasquez has achieved what many musicians and singers in the Philippines — including myself, a frustrated band vocalist — have always dreamed of. Vasquez, a 32-year-old dentist, became the first Asian contestant to win the U.S.’ “The Voice” on Dec. 10. He now joins a growing list of Filipino and Filipino American singers who have showcased their talent in prestigious U.S. singing competitions, including dual-voice singer
Vasquez’s triumph reinforces the popular stereotype that Filipinos are exceptional singers, which seems apparent if judging by the countless viral videos of random Filipinos flawlessly belting out songs on a karaoke in the malls and carinderias (local eateries). But what is it about the Philippines and its culture that leads to so many Filipinos being such skilled vocalists? Let’s explore.
Why are so many Filipinos good at singing?
Early exposure to music may explain why many Filipinos excel at singing. Filipino singer Vanessa Mendoza, who is also a music instructor at the University of Santo Tomas-Angelicum College in Quezon City, highlights the influence of family in shaping musical talents. In an interview with The Rebel Yellow, she recalls how her grandfather supported her passion for music by enrolling her in music programs. “These experiences marked the beginning of my interest and love for music,” she says.
Family was also the main influence that sparked my own interest in music during my childhood years. Unlike the typical karaoke-filled Filipino gatherings, I grew up surrounded by relatives who played musical instruments and had a deep love for watching musical performances. My late uncle, a self-taught piano virtuoso, could learn classical pieces by ear, while my late aunt encouraged me to sing along to my cassette tapes, especially her favorite, Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All.”
Recognizing my potential after I taught myself to play the guitar in elementary school and honed my skills through high school, my late aunt enrolled me in classical guitar classes as a teen. She later encouraged me to take voice lessons and enrolled me at the Yamaha School of Music, jokingly suggesting that I use my newfound skills to win a competition — a dream I didn’t realize I had until I started learning how to sing.
She was the one who always encouraged me to persevere with singing, even though I never really had the aptitude for it unlike with guitar and drums. I remember her telling me with tear-filled eyes after my 2011 recital, where I rapped Travis McCoy’s part in Bruno Mars’ “Billionaire”: “Yan, I am so proud of you.” Suffice to say, she was definitely my first and probably my biggest fan.
Historical relevance
Mendoza attributes today’s influence in music to the Philippines’ rich musical heritage, including folk music, salinawit (translated songs in Filipino) and kundiman, a traditional type of Filipino song characterized by melodramatic themes and mournful laments.
The Filipino knack for singing may also have to do with the country’s past. Historical accounts suggest that early Filipinos prioritized vocal over instrumental music before the Spanish arrived to colonize them in the 1500s. Thus, singing was woven into the fabric of daily life as work songs accompanied planting and harvesting, lullabies soothed children, and epic chants preserved history and legends.
In modern times, many credit karaoke — a portmanteau of the Japanese words “karappo” (“empty” and “okesutura” (“orchestra”) — as a major influence on how they got into singing. While the late Shigeichi Negishi created the first karaoke prototype in 1967, Japanese businessman Daisuke Inoue built the world’s first karaoke machine, the Juke-8, in 1971. A few years later, Filipino entrepreneur Roberto Del Rosario patented the technology in 1975, calling it the “Karaoke Sing-Along System.” Since then, karaoke has become embedded in many Filipinos’ lives.
Vasquez, who moved to Utica, New York, to further his dental career before joining “The Voice,” traces his music roots to karaoke, which was a staple in his neighborhood. He fondly remembers always hearing his parents sing while he was growing up “in a squatters’ area.”
Like Vasquez, Mendoza also cites karaoke, which she believes is “a staple of Filipino culture and has played a significant role in developing musical talent,” as her entry point into music. “I used to join my lola (grandmother) and her kumares’ (female friends’) karaoke bonding sessions,” she says. “I even remember crying when my [grandmother] wouldn’t let me join them because I wanted to sing so badly.”
“It nurtures a love for performing, as families and friends gather to celebrate and bond over music,” she adds. “It encourages everyone to participate and provides an opportunity to experiment and discover their singing/vocal abilities.”
A ticket out of poverty
For some Filipinos, singing offers a chance to escape poverty. Families train their young children to become performers so they can enter local singing competitions to help with their finances. Among them is Jake Zyrus, who once shared to Oprah Winfrey that his winnings were used to buy food for his family. Meanwhile, others pursue careers as overseas musicians or singers in high-end Middle Eastern bars or Las Vegas casinos to support their families back home.
According to a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations in September, 59% of Filipinos (16.3 million) rated themselves as “poor.” The daily minimum wage in the Philippines as of July 2024 for non-agriculture jobs is $11, or roughly $220 per month. This financial struggle also applies to many local musicians, who spend countless hours honing their craft, producing or performing. A national music stakeholders survey revealed that 50% of 700 respondents earned less than $340 a month.
Regardless of one’s reasons for pursuing music, singing remains a powerful tool to change lives, as evidenced by Vasquez’s historic win. Not only did he secure a record deal and a $100,000 prize, but he also had the chance to meet his idol, Michael Bublé.
Bublé, chosen by Vasquez to be his coach, emphasized the significance of his big win the day before the final vote: “There’s a bunch of beautiful Asians all over America and the world who, you know, somebody that looks like them has a chance to be the winner of the biggest singing show in the world.”
This story is part of The Rebel Yellow newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.
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