'Paalam Na' singer Rachel Alejandro shares fond memories with Hajji
MANILA, Philippines — Singer Rachel Alejandro posted an emotional tribute for her dad, Original Pilipino Music (OPM) icon Hajji Alejandro, who died of stage 4 Colorectal Cancer last April 21. He was 70.
“He never got old,” Rachel said on her tribute posted early today.
“What happens when the brightest star in a galaxy dies? My Dad was our sun and we were the planets, orbiting around him, basking in his warmth and light. As kids, we tagged along to all his activities, be it shows, rehearsals, basketball games — it didn’t matter what it was.”
Rachel recalled their family’s frequent sleepovers at the house of the “King of Comedy” Dolphy who passed away in 2012.
“We would fall asleep at Dolphy’s house if he was there for an all-night poker game. There was nowhere else we would rather be than by his side because every minute in his presence was fun,” Rachel said.
“Even as adults, we craved his company even as we got married and went about our own lives. I hung on to his every word about politics, financial investments or the latest joke he planned on including in his next concert with the Hitmakers. He loved to make people laugh as much as he loved to sing and dance.”
She highlighted how responsible Hajji was even if he became a dad in his teens, and how professional he had been as a performer.
“My Dad was a happy, optimistic man who valued having a good, comfortable life, yes, but more importantly, he prioritized providing for his partner, mother and children. And his way of doing that from the time he had me at the young age of 19, was through his golden singing voice, which is why regardless of how he was feeling, he never cancelled shows.”
According to Rachel, Hajji was so dedicated to his craft that he even performed at two more events before getting himself rushed to the hospital.
“Even when he was already in considerable pain, he performed in 2 more events before he was admitted into the hospital for surgery. For Dad, every show is a blessing and performing for you all is our highest calling as singers.”
Rachel shared that her dad stayed in the hospital for two months, but preferred to stay with his family at home during his last days.
“2 months of hospital stays and spending time with him at his home and I was still not prepared as I helplessly watched him breathe his final breath,” she said.
She vowed to continue her dad’s legacy as an OPM artist.
“What happens to those a star of this magnitude leaves behind? I don’t have answers for that yet as I struggle to grasp living in a universe without our Daddwaps. But I intend to make him proud in everything I do, to live by his code of honor and goodness, to perform for you all with everything I’ve got and leave it all on the stage every single time,” she affirmed.
“I will now just be singing and dancing with Dad in my dreams…”
