Karylle (right) with Calvin Jeremy
As a young girl, Karylle often spent Christmas with her family in Baguio City, where they enjoyed the sight of pine trees; and where wearing sweaters made sense. She remembers their house being decked with decor, care of one of her godmothers who used to import them for business. And, to top it all off, classic holiday carols filled the air.
“I’m a Christmas kind of person!” she said.
For the longest time, Karylle has been raring to compose her own Christmas song. But it was only until recently that she gathered enough confidence in her songwriting to go for it.
“I did a show with the UP Concert Chorus last year. I really enjoyed performing those Christmas songs, and it was such a great experience overall. But at the back of my mind, I was thinking that it would have been much better if I had something that was mine and original,” she told the Inquirer in a recent interview.
“I started writing last January, but I only got to record the song in September. And I’m releasing it this month, in time for the holidays. My writing process is still slow and my skills aren’t tight yet, but I have been taking creative writing lessons,” the singer-television host related.
The result is “It’s Christmas Time”—a jazzy and finger-snapping tune about togetherness and making time for family and loved ones in this special time of the year. The song features Indonesian singer Calvin Jeremy, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Music Indonesia.
“It has a jazzy flavor. I don’t know how to exactly describe the sound other than that it makes you almost smell and taste Christmas. For me, Christmas songs are almost like comfort food, which never fails to spruce up your mood and brings out warm feelings and memories,” she said.
Karylle, who will be flying to Indonesia soon to promote the song, said she and Calvin already have a concept in mind for the music video. “We’re thinking about filming families in public spaces, quietly and spending the occasion in their own little way,” she said.
For singers like her, Christmas is typically a hectic time, with various gigs lined up. Sometimes, they even find themselves performing on the actual day itself. But still, it’s important, Karylle said, that we find some time to be with the people who “matter to us.”
“It’s supposed to be happy and meaningful even for everyone. But sometimes we get too busy. The one thing we always seem to lack is time. We can give all the gifts we want, but if we don’t get to actually celebrate with our loved ones, all the gifts won’t mean much,” she pointed out.
That’s why her family makes it a point to hold big gatherings, even if it takes them until January to clear their schedules. “We love spending time together as a clan. And I think it’s also apt that we do it in January, during Three Kings’ Day—my surname is Tatlonghari, after all!” she quipped.
While it would be a dream to have Christmas classics that will be played every year—like Jose Mari Chan’s “Christmas In Our Hearts” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You”—that’s not Karylle’s main goal.
“Of course, you want to have something that has longevity. But I did the song simply because I love Christmas,” she said.