Hajji Alejandro: A look back at the OPM icon

Picture: Fb/Hajji Alejandro

Hajji Alejandro had the basic melody and radiated the unmistakable appeal that crowd about his artistry, and a number of other generations of listeners can affirm this. He was praised because the “Kilabot NG MGA Kolehiyala” for an apparent motive.

Born Angelito Toledo Alejandro to a musical gifted household, HajjiIn line with his mom, sang since he began speaking.

He began his journey to grow to be one of many authentic Pilipino Music -icons (OpM) in 1973 with a efficiency on the positioning of Ateneo de Manila College, the place he adopted a administration diploma.

Hajji Sang in the course of the college’s orientation week when he was seen by one other OpM icon, skilled singer Basil Valdez, who then recruited him to hitch the circus band of the latter. Then the 18-year-old Hajji preferred to simply accept the invitation after which participated within the nationwide campus tour of the group.

Hajji sang and wrote albums along with band members Valdez, Rudy Lozano and Gerry Paraiso till the primary determined to start out a solo profession in 1976. Whereas he marked this new starting, Hajji determined to take a break in his research.

“All items fell into place,” Hajji mentioned in an interview in 2014, remembered how he reached out with songwriter Willy Cruz, who was supplied to JEM Information on the time.

“Nag catulunan kami. Nakilala Ang Jem due to me and Nakilala Ako due to Jem,” Hajji added.

Beneath the recording firm he launched his first single from Cruz, “Tag-oraw, Tag-Ulan”. The one was an instantaneous hit that was adopted two years later by his interpretation of the piece ‘Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika’, which was written and organized by veteran composer Ryan Cayabyab.

With this tune, Hajji emerged because the recipient of the primary Metro Manila Pop Music Competition Grand Prize, who competed with Celeste Legaspi, Maricris Bermont and Anthony Castelo.

The basic tune was additionally praised because the champion on the first Worldwide Seoul Track Competition in Korea.

Hajji had since launched hits after hits, together with “Could Minamahal”, “Panakip-Butas” and “Nakapagtataka.” However since life additionally has his downs, the profession of the hit maker skilled a lower in query and selected to briefly depart the spotlights in 1987.

Hajji went to the US and focused on offering his household by establishing a restaurant. On the time, Hajji was already a father of his three kids Barni, Rachel and Ali.

The restaurant firm didn’t flourish and Hajji was later pressured to shut it. However the stars had been re -aligned in 1992 for Hajji, when he was supplied to return to the stage along with his daughter Rachel. Hajji returned to the Philippines and the daddy and daughter had a number of offered -out concert events.

Since then, Hajji usually shared the stage within the Philippines and overseas with Rachel and varied different OPM artists. In 2014 he additionally reunited with the Circus Band, along with Nieuwe Minstrelen, for a live performance.

One among his final variations was carried out in Vigan, the place he first skilled signs of what was later identified as Section 4 colon most cancersIn line with his outdated associate Alynna Velasquez.

“My mind-set is that you do not work for music – you play it. And so I’ve performed on a regular basis,” Hajji mentioned in an interview in 2020. “From day 1 it was all in regards to the music. Typically you discover that you’re asking if you’re the correct time to cease, particularly when you become older. However on the similar time I can not think about that I do one thing else.”

Talking of his OG followers, he continued: “They’re now not Kolehiyyalas, however they’re nonetheless there [that] Has grow to be the soundtrack of their lives.

‘Hajji’s loss of life was confirmed by his household on Tuesday, April 22.