Sam Hashimoto/ARMIN P. ADINA
MULA nang hiranging Mister Guam noong 2017 ang Japanese-Korean-Chinese na si Sam Hashimoto, sumabak na siya sa pagmomodelo sa Pilipinas. At ngayon, papasukin na rin niya ang industriya ng musika sa bansa bilang isang mang-aawit. Ngunit matagal na pala niyang mahal ang pag-awit.
“It’s kind of a funny story. The whole reason why I started singing was because I was doing band. But that was really hard. And I wanted an ‘easy A,’ so I switched to choir because I heard it was an easy A,” sinabi niya sa ilang manunulat sa Pardon My French sa Makati City noong Peb. 24, kung saan niya inilunsad ang una niyang single na “Before the Night Disappears” sa ilalim ng Tarsier Records.
Isang marching band ang tinutukoy ng model-musician na lumaki sa Hawaii. “I was a fat, chubby boy, and I can hold it so I might as well play the tuba, might as well do something again that other people aren’t willing to do,” ibinahagi niya.
Sam Hashimoto/ARMIN P. ADINA
Mula nang mapalipat sa choir, sinabi ni Hashimoto na nagtuloy-tuloy ang pagmamahal niya sa pag-awit, at sinimulan na ring magsulat ng mga awitin. Ibinunyag pa niyang hindi bago ang “Before the Night Disappears.” Isinulat niya ito ilang taon na ang nakararaan, at inilapit sa ilang labels, ngunit na-reject.
Ngayon, maririnig na ito sa lahat ng digital streaming platforms, kung saan malalasap ng mga nakikinig kung ano ba ang musika ni Hashimoto. “My goal for music is, I want people to be taken on an adventure, on a story. When they hear my music, I want them to feel something, whatever,” ipinaliwanag niya.
Malaki umano ang utang na loob niya sa choir teacher niyang si Mr. Lippard. “He really encouraged me when I felt like a lot of people didn’t. And he took the time, personal time, out of his life to, you know, kind of mold me and like invest into me. We still talk to this day, and he really was like the person that helped mold my voice and tell me ‘hey, you do have a voice,’” ibinahagi ni Hashimoto.
Sam Hashimoto/ARMIN P. ADINA
At ngayong natuklasan na niya ang kaniyang tinig, sinabi ni Hashimoto na patuloy siyang lilikha ng musika. “I’ll write different songs. I’ll write a happy song, a sad song, you know, a sexy song. I just want them to feel something. I’ve been told sometimes that I’m not the best when it comes to expressing my emotions, like verbally or like with people in general. But I feel like my music is how I can do it. And that’s really where I show people who I am. So that’s what I want,” aniya.
May mga nagsasabing mahigpit na ang mundo ng musika sa Pilipinas, ngunit sinabi ni Hashimoto na hindi naman siya nakikipagkumpetensya, at tiyak siyang may puwang para sa kanya sa industriya. “I think what’s different or what I have to offer is I have a story. I’m Sam Hashimoto, and nobody can tell my story like I can,” hinayag niya.
Ngunit tatalikuran na ba niya ang pagmomodelo ngayong sinimulan na niya ang karera sa musika? Pwede naman umano niya itong pagsabayin. “I’m very grateful for modeling. Modeling has done me a lot, has gotten me a lot of work, and later recognition. But my heart is with music,” aniya.