‘Pasko na Naman’

How sweet it is of sugar baron and singer-songwriter Jose Mari Chan to humbly refuse the unofficial title "Father of Philippine Christmas Music" handed him by Filipinos on account of his chart-smashing 1990 hit song "Christmas in Our Hearts."

The song, the pièce de résistance in the album of the same title, has sold at least 800,000 copies and was, according to Wiki, the "first OPM" to reach Double Diamond status.

"Christmas in Our Hearts" had also been streamed 19,663,025 times on Spotify, bested only for Jose Mari by his melt-your-heart paean to love, "Beautiful Girl," which has 24,833,995 streams to date.

According to Jose Mari, he appreciates very much that his song had been associated with the holiday season, but that there are many other hit Filipino Christmas songs even before he first opened his eyes.

Asked how rich has he become from the song, the singer revealed in an interview that, through the years, he had been funneling royalties or proceeds from "Christmas in Our Hearts" to foundations, charities, and his numerous scholars.

That's his way of giving back, said the man who, with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, had been the subject of recurring funny memes for their being associated with Christmas and longevity, respectively.

Jose Mari's soothing voice in the most love songs he had belted for decades has mirrored his amiable persona, no different from those of his sons Joe and Mike, singers and composers in their own right.

A couple of years back, the Chan brothers would perform at Daily Tribune's Friday Mixer, singing their own compositions and a fresh take on Seals and Croft's "My Fair Share" to promote their latest album.

By the other Filipino Christmas hits, Jose Mari was surely referring to such Yuletide staples — favorite carols that had been rendered immortal by the Mabuhay Singers like "Himig ng Pasko" written by Serapio Ramos in the 1960s, with the following opening lines that most Filipinos know:

Malamig ang simoy ng hangin…

Kay saya ng bawa't damdamin

Then there's Levi Celerio's and Felipe De Leon's "Pasko Na Naman" and the traditional "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit" credited to Vicente Rubi and Mariano Vestil dating back to the 30s, evolving to its present form from the original composition "Kasadya ning Táknaa" translated to "How Blissful is this Season."

As kids in the 70s and 80s, we would be singing these Filipino Christmas songs during early evening neighborhood carolings with pesky friends and classmates enjoying the Christmas break from school.

The Singing, we would accompany with DIY drums cans covered with rubber balloons, and improvised tambourines, made from strung-up flattened bottle caps. We'd cap the night huddled in a circle on the street, under the lamp post, partitioning the coins equally to all carolers.

Growing up, we'd be awakened by Church loudspeakers blaring carols immortalized by the Ray Conniff singers — like the "12 Days of Christmas," the Little Drummer Boy, "Oh, Holy Night" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" — calling us out to attend the dawn masses.

The shopping malls would not be outdone, with Cubao's COD even having giant mechanized puppets displaying festive scenes in keeping with the yuletide atmosphere.

Michael Jackson's "Give Love on Christmas Day" and his and the Jackson 5's rendition of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" would almost always get airtime on the radio during those days.

Music, it may be said, sets the spirit of Christmas, without which the season would not be as festive.