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MATABIL
ni John Fontanilla
BER months na kua usong -uso na naman ang tinaguriang King of Christmas Carols o Father of Philippine Christmas Music na si Jose Mari Chan.
Pero kung si Mr Chan ang masusunod, ayaw niyang tawagin siyang King of Christmas Carols o Father of Philippine Christmas Music dahil feeling niya hindi niya ito deserved.
Hindi lang naman kasi siya ang may kantang Pamasko na naisulat at sumikat sa Pilipinas, aniya.
Tsika pa ni Mr Chan sa interview nito sa Toni Talks ni Toni Gonzaga, “No, no. Long before I was born, there were already many Christmas carols.
“Sa Cebu, Iloilo, Tagalog, I mean Manila, There were ‘Ang Pasko ay Sumapit,” paliwanag pa ni Mr Chan.
“‘Di ba, you know if I’m the only one who has written all the Christmas carols in the Philippines, okay. But I’m not,” sabi pa.
Ibinahagi rin nito kung paano niya nasulat ang iconic Christmas song niya na Christmas in our Hearts.
“In 1988 or ‘89, I was invited by a group to compose a song for their advocacy, ‘Ang Tubig ay Buhay,’ you know, conservation of water, etcetera.
“So, I wrote that, and the melody was so catchy that two years later, when the Universal Records group asked me to come up with a Christmas album.
“Then I remembered that melody. I remember praying to the Holy Spirit, to inspire me, you know, I don’t want to write about Santa Claus, I want to write about the real reason for the season, which is our Lord’s Birth.
“I remember coming out of the church and getting into my car, there was a young lady who knocked at my door, and she introduced herself as Rina Caniza.
” And then she said, ‘It is my dream, Mr. Chan, that one day, you and I could collaborate on a song. That was probably in August or September.
“So, she gave me her card, and to make a long story short, when I was commissioned to do that Christmas album, I remembered her.
” So I said, ‘I’m gonna give her a call. So, she came to the house, and I sang the melody of ‘Ang Tubig ay Buhay,’ which she liked very much, and I think it was even Rina who thought of the title ‘Christmas in our Hearts.’”
At doon na raw nabuo ang Christmas Song na paboritong awitin ng mga Pinoy sa tuwing sasapit ang Pasko, ang ‘Christmas In Our Hearts.’
