Quintessential Filipino Christmas songs for your holiday playlist
Sing these Filipino Christmas songs when you go caroling this year | Photo by David Beale on Unsplash
While it’s been Christmas in the Philippines since September, it’s officially Christmas time in North America since Thanksgiving is over. Christmas is a time for celebration and reflection and for diasporic Filipinos, it can also be a time to get closer to their roots.
Aside from food and entertainment, music is another way to celebrate and learn more about Filipino culture. There’s a stereotype that every Filipino can sing. It’s not necessarily true, but most of us do love music.
OPM or Original Pilipino Music has many sub-genres under it, but one of the most universally recognized (at least in the country) is our Christmas music.
Here are a few quintessential Christmas songs that can help you explore the genre (and our culture) deeper.
The entirety of Jose Mari Chan’s Christmas discography
Jose Mari Chan is a local legendary singer-songwriter. He goes by the moniker Mr. Music Man, and is known casually as the poster child of Philippine Christmas. He has two albums devoted to Christmas songs: “Christmas in our Hearts” and “Going Home to Christmas.” There’s also a Christmas-themed jukebox musical based on his work coming next year.
“Ang Pasko ay Sumapit” or “Kasadya Ning Taknaa”
There’s some controversy surrounding these two songs of the same tune. “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit,” which is sung in Tagalog, claims to be the original but there’s a counterclaim by others that the Bisaya “Kasadya Ning Taknaa” was first. Either way, these songs are basically seared into many a Filipino child’s memory as the outro to holiday mass.
“Sana Ngayong Pasko” by Ariel Rivera
What’s Christmas without some longing? “Sana Ngayong Pasko” is a song about missing someone during the holiday season. Not every family has the privilege of gathering together, so it’s apt that the distance of the heart (and actual distance) has manifested itself into a sad yet lovely song.
“Pasko Na Naman (O Kay Tulin ng Araw)”
This song is a very frequent number by many of the carolers this season. It personally reminds me of a happier Filipino version of “Carol of the Bells,” thanks to its different parts. It’s also a constant entry to many company Christmas parties around the Philippines.
“Christmas Bonus” by Aegis
Christmas can be a tough time for many people budget-wise, so OPM legends Aegis literally wrote a song asking for their Christmas bonuses and aptly named it “Christmas Bonus.” It’s another song that’s frequently sung in offices during the holiday season.
“Kumukutikutitap” by Ryan Cayabyab
Ryan Cayabyab is a famous Filipino composer (and National Artist for Music!) who’s written several Christmas hits over his decades-spanning career. He has a few entries to the Christmas song genre, but one of his most famous hits is “Kumukutikutitap,” which describes how bright and sparkly Christmas lights are. It’s also a choir staple.
“Tuloy na Tuloy Pa rin ang Pasko” by Apo Hiking Society
Apo Hiking Society is one of the vocal groups that many first generation immigrants to North America grew up listening to. The song’s message is that all the little problems around the holiday season pale in comparison to a true Christmas celebrated with Jesus. It’s on the upbeat jazzier side and has a catchy tune, if you’re wondering.
