Joice Espinoza draws inspiration from Sofronio Vasquez’s win on global stage

“Tawag Ng Tanghalan” (TNT) alumna Joice Espinoza | Contributed photo

“Tawag Ng Tanghalan” (TNT) alumna Joice Espinoza reflected on her journey on the international stage after she previously took home awards from different awarding bodies, stressing that the historic win of fellow “TNT” contestant Sofronio Vasquez in “The Voice US” amplified her desire to continue her singing career.

In 2023, Espinoza competed in season 7 of “Tawag Ng Tanghalan,” where she won the Daily Winner title. She was also recently nominated for Best New Female Artist at the 37th Aliw Awards.

When asked about how her career began, Espinoza shared that she developed a passion for music as she grew up listening to theme songs of children’s shows, which resulted in her joining a singing competition abroad.

“When I won Princess of the World 2017, I was just ten years old. It was truly surprising and unbelievable. I am grateful and honored to have been given the opportunity to raise the flag and pride as a Filipino,” she said.

Espinoza recently launched her debut single, “Pangako Mo,” which won Original Song at the Parai Musical International Awards in Chennai, India, and at the Global Music Awards 2024 in California. The song’s music video was also honored at the World Music and Independent Film Festival in Virginia, United States.

Given her growing experience on the international stage, Espinoza underscored that winning stories like Vasquez’s, who recently became the first male Asian winner in “The Voice US” and the first Filipino to win the grand title, inspires her to strive even more.

“As a TNT alumna, I felt inspired and proud of Kuya Sofronio as he raised our Filipino flag high. He showed the world how capable Filipinos are on the international stage. Though we may not be in the same TNT batch and year, I felt so honored to step on the stage he once stepped in—along with other great singers who have competed in Tawag ng Tanghalan,” she said.

“If God provided me an opportunity to sing to a global audience again, I would gladly take the chance to perform for people around the world. It’s been a while since I’ve last raised the Philippine flag in an international competition held in Bulgaria, Europe, where I won a gold medal in the vocal category. I’d definitely love to compete internationally once more,” added the young singer.

Espinoza also shared that she plans to release more songs about her experiences as a young musician, as she also stated that she wishes to collaborate with Broadway superstar Lea Salonga in the future.

“Pangako Mo” was penned by John Rey Malto and musically arranged by Adonis Arcilla, with vocals and guitars recorded by Marvin Querido, and mixed and mastered by Angelo M. Rozul. The song garnered over 1.2 million views upon its release.