Sofronio Vasquez and Michael Bublé make a great team. After the Team Bublé contestant was declared the winner for season 26 of The Voice, the duo opened up about the emotional moment with PEOPLE — and Vasquez teased his coach for texting after the victory.

After making history as the first Asian winner of “The Voice” United States, Sofronio Vasquez recounted the encouraging words he received from former “Tawag ng Tanghalan” head judge Rey Valera. Vasquez looked back by sharing a video edit from Instagram user @juan.

Vasquez, who is from Mindanao in the Philippines, just moved to Utica in the middle of last year. But he’s felt like part of the community from the moment he started appearing on "The Voice," he said. “It feels like I was really born and raised in Utica,” he said. “I never felt like being an alien.”