PHOTO FROM WWW.CDBABY.COM
Perhaps there is no other local artist who embodies the spirit of Christmas in his songs more than Jose Mari Chan does. Immediately, what comes to mind are his songs, namely “Christmas in Our Hearts” and “A Perfect Christmas,” which, although in English, have become immortalized in Filipino households.
I, for one, can say that the above songs are so familiar to me. They belonged to the repertoire of Christmas songs also from the Vienna Boys Choir, Ray Conniff and the Ray Conniff Singers and, of course, The Chipmunks, who my mom made sure would constantly be playing in the background in our home for my two older siblings and me during the holidays in our childhood years.
Yet, I can say that even now in my adult years, Jose Mari Chan’s “Christmas in Our Hearts” continues to resonate very strongly with me. In fact, with the entire Filipino nation, too, because we hear it being played constantly in the radio, in the malls, and almost everywhere we go.
This song poses only one problem for me, though. Every time—but every time—my mom hears it, she starts singing it all day long… out of tune ! Sometimes, I have to tell her to stop singing, please. And she exclaims, “And why? I like that song. It makes me happy!”
There you have it! That is what explains the magic of that song. It makes people feel happy.
How timely that Jose Mari Chan’s appearance on “The Ryzza Mae Show” yesterday, November 25, 2013, comes exactly one month to Christmas Day. He goes there to tell us of his most recent album “Going Home to Christmas,” which features a special participation of his eleven-year old grandchild Ramona Isabel in the track called “Song of the Firefly.”
He also makes a special mention of his first ever Christmas song he has written in Tagalog titled “Pagdating ng Pasko,” to which song he invited Ryzza Mae to sing along with him on the show.
Jose Mari Chan encapsulates for us the message of his album “Going Home to Christmas” in his own words: “CHRISTMAS MEANS FAMILY.”