Rey Valera remembers Hajji Alejandro, credits longevity to fan support
MANILA, Philippines — Singer-songwriter Rey Valera honored his peer Hajji Alejandro as he reflected on managing to stay relevant after so many decades.
Last September 25 in a Quezon City restaurant, Rey was present for the media conference of the new "Sing Galing: Sing-lebrity Edition" where he is a Jukeboss along with other judges, hosts, and contestants.
The veteran artist was an original member of The Greatest Hitmakers along with Hajji and another late singer, Rico J. Puno.
Rey quipped that, following Hajji's passing earlier this year, he and the remaining members of the Hitmakers, Nonoy Zuñiga and Marco Sison, should change their name to The Survivors.
"Minsan mamamatay yung kasama mo, bigla ka magigising... Hindi, hindi, hindi, I'm just talking about realities ng buhay," Rey continued. "Na akala mo tayo may control sa buhay, yun pala wala. Because one day, kausap mo. Next week, hindi mo na siya kausap."
He recalled Hajji being very secure with his time and finances, even laying out his clothes on the bed for the next day.
Hajji revealed last March that he was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer, passing away from the disease a month later, something Rey found happened so suddenly.
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The death of his friend made him realize how grateful he was to still be alive and relevant to this day.
"Alam mo, madali naman sumikat e, kung tutuusin, pero ano gagawin mo pagdating mo roon sa kasikatan, at paano ka magsu-survive?" Rey said.
Rey praised his peers like Randy Santiago and K Brosas for not turning their backs on people who supported them and keeping their promises.
That kind of attitude is evident in the audiences who watch their show, longtime fans who are already in wheelchairs and use dextrose.
"Kapag umabot kasi sa ganitong edad at nandiyan ka pa, may relevance ka pa, you held at your job as an artist," Rey continued, which is something they could share to a younger generation of artists.
Rey ended by pointing out he never got involved in controversies because he valued the trust of his fans.
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