3 weeks Ago
Image: Facebook/Hajji Alejandro Hajji Alejandro had the classic tune and exuded the undeniable charm that made crowds swoon over his artistry, and several generations of listeners can attest to this. He was hailed as the “Kilabot ng mga Kolehiyala” for an obvious reason. Born Angelito Toledo Alejandro to a musically gifted family, Hajji , according to his mother, had been singing since he started talking.
He began his voyage to becoming one of the Original Pilipino Music (OPM) icons in 1973 with a performance on the grounds of Ateneo de Manila University, where he pursued a management degree. Hajji was singing during the university’s orientation week when he was spotted by another OPM icon, veteran singer Basil Valdez, who then recruited him to join the latter’s Circus Band. Then 18-year-old Hajji gladly accepted the invite and took part in the group’s nationwide campus tour at the time.
Hajji sang and wrote albums along with bandmates Valdez, Rudy Lozano and Gerry Paraiso until the former decided to embark on a solo career in 1976. As he marked this new beginning, Hajji decided to take a pause on his studies. “All the pieces fell into place,” Hajji said in a 2014 interview, recalling how he reached out to songwriter Willy Cruz, who at the time was incidentally offered to helm JEM Records.
“Nagkatulungan kami. Nakilala ang JEM because of me and nakilala ako because of JEM,” Hajji added. Under the recording company, he released his first single written by Cruz, “Tag-Araw, Tag-ulan.
” The single was an immediate hit that was followed two years later by his interpretation of the piece “Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika,” which was written and arranged by veteran composer Ryan Cayabyab. With this song, Hajji emerged as the recipient of the first Metro Manila Pop Music Festival grand prize, having competed with Celeste Legaspi, Maricris Bermont and Anthony Castelo, among others. The classic song was also hailed as the champion at the first International Seoul Song Festival held in Korea.
Hajji had since released hits after hits including “May Minamahal,” “Panakip-Butas” and “Nakapagtataka.” But as life also has its downs, the hitmaker’s career experienced a decrease in demand and he opted to temporarily leave the limelight in 1987. Hajji went to the United States and focused on providing for his family by putting up a restaurant.
At the time, Hajji was already a dad to his three children Barni, Rachel and Ali. The restaurant business did not flourish and Hajji was later forced to close it. But the stars aligned again for Hajji in 1992, as he was offered to return to the stage with his daughter Rachel.
Hajji returned to the Philippines and the father and daughter had several sold-out concerts. Since then, Hajji would often share the stage in the Philippines and abroad with Rachel and several other OPM artists. In 2014, he also reunited with the Circus Band, along with New Minstrels, for a concert.
One of his last performances was staged in Vigan where he first experienced symptoms of what was later diagnosed as stage 4 colon cancer , as per his longtime partner Alynna Velasquez. “My mindset is that you don’t work for music—you play it. And thus, I have been playing all this time,” Hajji said in a 2020 interview.
“From Day 1, it was all about the music. Sometimes, you find yourself asking if now’s the right time to stop, especially as you get older. But at the same time, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
” Speaking of his OG fans, he continued, “They’re no longer kolehiyalas, but they’re still there. They’re not as hyper and loud as they once were, but I’m thankful that they still support me. They still yearn for the music they grew up with and [that] has become the soundtrack of their lives.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . ”Hajji’s death was confirmed by his family on Tuesday, April 22.
.
