Among the finalists of The Voice Season 26 is Sofronio Vasquez from Mindanao, Philippines. After growing up without a bed and proper indoor plumbing, he describes himself as ” happy.”

Sofronio’s NBC bio describes him as:

“Despite his situation, he describes his upbringing as happy, because music was always there to bring his family joy. Sofronio fondly remembers singing with his dad and considers him his coach.”

It continues,

“Sofronio never thought he was as musically inclined as his friends and family, so instead he embarked on a career in dentistry. While studying for his dental boards in the Philippines, he decided to give music a chance.”

Before participating in The Voice Season 26, Sofronio Vasquez’s cover for Nothing Gonna Change My Love for You received 1 million views on TikTok. His That’s What Friends Are For on Facebook has also crossed over 9.5 million views.

Sofronio Vasquez on The Voice Season 26: Finalists’ journey explored

Sofronio performed “‘m Goin’ Down by Mary J. Blige during his blind auditions for the singing competition show. After joining The Voice Season 26 as a participant, Vasquez chose Michael Bublé as his coach, as he revealed at the time:

“Michael Bublé is very popular in the Philippines and one of my idols. Working with him was a dream, and he never made me feel inferior.”

While under Team Michael, Sofronio Vasquez performed “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” during the Knockouts round. He competed against Jeremy Beloate and Kiara Vega.

For his performance, Michael Bublé shared,

“I was so proud of you. I love watching you grow.”

Later on, the judge told the cameras,

“He’s special, he’s unique. He reminds me of a mix between Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson. If I was Jennifer Hudson, I would have been throwing my shoes at him.”

Playoffs performance by Sofronio Vasquez: The Voice

For The Voice Season 26 Playoffs round, Sofronio Vasquez performed Roy Orbinson’s Crying. After witnessing his performance, Gwen Stefani revealed that he had “all the perfect timing, emotionally.”

“The way that you build it and pulled back — you have all the perfect timing, emotionally. It just kept building to a place I didn’t think was possible. Honestly, incredible performance!”

While choosing him as one of the top 8 contestants on The Voice

Season 26 for the Live Shows round, Michael Bublé shared that Vasquez’s performance was “flawless.” He added that the participant’s growth has been “exponential” and that he is a “superstar.”

Sofronio Vasquez in The Voice Season 26 finalists

During The Voice Season 26’s December 3, 2024 episode, the show revealed the finalists. They included Danny Joseph from Team Reba, Shye and Sofronio from Team Bublé, Sydney Sterlace from Team Gwen, and Jeremy Beloate from Team Snoop. They received the highest number of votes, which helped them advance further in the competition.

Vasquez performed If I Can Dream during The Voice Lives, which the judges appreciated.

Vasquez’s NBC bio further reads,

“Sofronio was met with tragedy when his dad suddenly passed away. Now, with a new sense of motivation to make his late father proud, Sofronio has taken a leap of faith and moved to America to pursue music more seriously.”

After securing his spot in the top 5 finalists, Vasquez and the finalists will compete in the upcoming finale.