Christmas In Our Hearts | The Story Behind Christmas In Our Hearts
Done with the memes yet? Either way, here's Jose Mari Chan revealing the story behind the most played OPM holiday song in the Philippines.
Let him take you first back to 1988 when the song was thought up. Meet the personalities who got involved as the narrative continues. And well, let him charm you with the rest of the story.
The album, bearing the same name, is Jose Mari Chan's first Christmas album and it will mark its 31st anniversary in November. For decades the song has been a staple on someone's Christmas playlist because of its message — God sending the world His Son, the messianic King Jesus Christ.
But social media happened and picked up speed few years ago; the meme lords were born and the next thing you know, Jose Mari Chan is Mr. Christmas. But maybe the memes are just people's way of saying, 'Wala na bang bago?', and at the same time, they still want to honor the iconic song. Because with its meaningful lines, you can't unlove that song. What do you think?
Jose "Joe" Mari Lim Chan is a Filipino-Chinese songwriter, incredibly known as a mellow balladeer with an emotionally heart-throbbing vocal. He is also an endorser and a businessman in the sugar industry. As for being a music icon, well, every Filipino knows that. Do you still remember some of Jose Mari's all-time favorite hits? Well, here's a few: Deep in My Heart, Constant Change, Beautiful Girl (a piece he wrote about a pretty girl he saw from a distance but never got the chance to personally meet), Tell Me Your Name, Stay, My Love, Perhaps Love, Afraid For Love To Fade, High and Mighty, Sing Me Your Song Again, Daddy (a bride’s dance with her father), Leave You, So I’ll Go, If We Only Have More Time Together, Please Be Careful With My Heart (with Regine Velasquez).
VIDEO CLIPS COURTESY OF:
Nino Dinapo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLuj-QWalHA
Andrez Films and Fingerstyle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrNVm4TbCsI
Mark Avila
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKl4zyB2foA
Jimmy Bruzsam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChKn94q1Qxw
Universal Records Philippines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVVdNWX_5Go
Universal Records Philippines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3xaKR7Ca-U
Karaoke Negra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-xCA_ZWcag
rizzaraquel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5rXX9cojbY
LSFP (Lea Salonga and Monique Wilson Miss Saigon clips)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwB3Zxh2gSE
Jamesmat Animations (Lea Salonga Miss Saigon Audition)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy-A-wyzj7c
Jamesmat Animations (Lea Salonga Miss Saigon Final Audition)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsJpfwYBx2U
CS News Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e9n_pddCU4
Province of Lanao del Norte
https://www.facebook.com/LanaoDelNorte/
It's More Fun in Lanao del Norte
https://fb.watch/7NhG4mQbbv/
Photos:
Jose Mari Chan
Tiffany Ashley V
Jam Dario
Erickson DL Cruz III
#josemarichan
#opm
Done with the memes yet? Either way, here's Jose Mari Chan revealing the story behind the most played OPM holiday song in the Philippines.
Let him take you first back to 1988 when the song was thought up. Meet the personalities who got involved as the narrative continues. And well, let him charm you with the rest of the story.
The album, bearing the same name, is Jose Mari Chan's first Christmas album and it will mark its 31st anniversary in November. For decades the song has been a staple on someone's Christmas playlist because of its message — God sending the world His Son, the messianic King Jesus Christ.
But social media happened and picked up speed few years ago; the meme lords were born and the next thing you know, Jose Mari Chan is Mr. Christmas. But maybe the memes are just people's way of saying, 'Wala na bang bago?', and at the same time, they still want to honor the iconic song. Because with its meaningful lines, you can't unlove that song. What do you think?
Jose "Joe" Mari Lim Chan is a Filipino-Chinese songwriter, incredibly known as a mellow balladeer with an emotionally heart-throbbing vocal. He is also an endorser and a businessman in the sugar industry. As for being a music icon, well, every Filipino knows that. Do you still remember some of Jose Mari's all-time favorite hits? Well, here's a few: Deep in My Heart, Constant Change, Beautiful Girl (a piece he wrote about a pretty girl he saw from a distance but never got the chance to personally meet), Tell Me Your Name, Stay, My Love, Perhaps Love, Afraid For Love To Fade, High and Mighty, Sing Me Your Song Again, Daddy (a bride’s dance with her father), Leave You, So I’ll Go, If We Only Have More Time Together, Please Be Careful With My Heart (with Regine Velasquez).
VIDEO CLIPS COURTESY OF:
Nino Dinapo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLuj-QWalHA
Andrez Films and Fingerstyle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrNVm4TbCsI
Mark Avila
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKl4zyB2foA
Jimmy Bruzsam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChKn94q1Qxw
Universal Records Philippines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVVdNWX_5Go
Universal Records Philippines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3xaKR7Ca-U
Karaoke Negra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-xCA_ZWcag
rizzaraquel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5rXX9cojbY
LSFP (Lea Salonga and Monique Wilson Miss Saigon clips)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwB3Zxh2gSE
Jamesmat Animations (Lea Salonga Miss Saigon Audition)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy-A-wyzj7c
Jamesmat Animations (Lea Salonga Miss Saigon Final Audition)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsJpfwYBx2U
CS News Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e9n_pddCU4
Province of Lanao del Norte
https://www.facebook.com/LanaoDelNorte/
It's More Fun in Lanao del Norte
https://fb.watch/7NhG4mQbbv/
Photos:
Jose Mari Chan
Tiffany Ashley V
Jam Dario
Erickson DL Cruz III
#josemarichan
#opm
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:07 Whenever I see girls and boys
00:10 Sending lentils on the street
00:13 I remember the child
00:17 In a manger as he sleeps
00:20 Wherever there are people
00:23 Giving gifts and exchanging cards
00:26 I believe that Christmas is truly in their hearts
00:32 And so that's how Christmas in Our Hearts was born.
00:36 [Music]
00:42 Christmas in Our Hearts had a very interesting beginning.
00:45 Let's go back to 1988.
00:48 A good friend of mine, Chari Cruz Zarate,
00:51 she phoned me and asked if I would be willing to set to music
00:56 a poem that she wrote.
00:58 The poem she wrote was entitled "Ang Tubig Ay Buhay."
01:02 In two days, I was able to set that poem to music.
01:07 And that music is [sings]
01:14 Then 1990, two years later,
01:17 my record producer, Delia Tan, suggested that I came out with a Christmas album.
01:23 And of course, the first thing I did was to assemble some Christmas songs
01:28 that I grew up with as a child.
01:30 [Sings]
01:39 But of course, she needed an original Christmas song.
01:43 And so I racked my brain.
01:46 I have to compose a Christmas song.
01:49 And like a suggestion from above,
01:52 I remembered that melody, "Ang Tubig Ay Buhay."
01:55 [Sings]
02:01 "Hey," I said, "it could sound like a Christmas song."
02:04 The melody started in the minor mode.
02:07 [Music]
02:14 Very Filipino. And then it went to
02:17 [Music]
02:24 Major mode. Wow, perfect.
02:27 So I remember praying to the Holy Spirit,
02:31 asking for guidance, asking for inspiration
02:35 to write Christmas words to that melody.
02:38 And this is what happened.
02:40 It was a Sunday morning, and we were coming out of church from Sunday Mass,
02:47 when all of a sudden, after we boarded the car,
02:50 there was a young lady that ran after me and introduced herself.
02:54 She gave me her card. She introduced herself as Rina Caniza.
02:59 My mom and I, we heard Mass at Forbes Park Church.
03:02 And as I was hearing Mass, I saw Joe Marie there. He was present.
03:07 And I whispered to my mom, and I said, "I want to write with him.
03:11 He doesn't know me at all. I haven't made any name in songwriting,
03:14 but I want to write with him."
03:16 So my mom said, "Sige, after the Mass, you approach him."
03:19 And I had a little calling card ready in my bag.
03:22 She gave me a card, and she said, "Mr. Chan, it is my hope and dream
03:26 that one day, you and I could collaborate on a song.
03:32 We could write a love song together."
03:34 So I phoned her, and I invited her to come to the house,
03:37 and I sang the melody to her.
03:39 And I said, "Could you help me write Christmas lyrics to this?"
03:43 Here's the study melody for a Christmas song in English.
03:48 [humming]
03:53 And so that's how "Christmas in Our Hearts" was born.
03:57 We wrote it together, and then we were waiting for the last verse.
04:02 I remember that day, I was being driven by my driver to Pampanga,
04:07 and on the way, the lyrics came to me.
04:10 ♪ Let love light that starlight on that first Christmas morn ♪
04:16 ♪ Lead us back to the manger where Christ the Child was born ♪
04:23 ♪ So come, let us rejoice ♪
04:25 ♪ Come and sing a Christmas carol ♪
04:29 ♪ With one big joyful voice ♪
04:32 ♪ Proclaim the name of the Lord ♪
04:36 Wow! I said, "Good! This completes the song."
04:40 ♪ Let love light that starlight on that first Christmas morn ♪
04:45 ♪ Lead us back to the manger ♪
04:47 Remember, it was the Star of Bethlehem that led the three kings to the manger.
04:53 And so in 1990, the song "Christmas in Our Hearts" was born.
04:58 And that led to the record becoming a double diamond seller.
05:03 When it came to a singer who would sing the song with me,
05:07 my first choice was Lea Salonga, number one,
05:10 because at that time she was the darling of the country,
05:14 because she landed a role in "Miss Saigon" at the West End in London.
05:18 So she was the idol. She was like the Hyde-Lyd of that time.
05:22 I remember calling her and asking if she could sing that song with me.
05:27 And she agreed. Unfortunately, her recording label would not allow her to cross-label.
05:34 And so, "Hi. Sayang."
05:37 So my next choice was Monique Wilson,
05:40 because Monique Wilson was the understudy of Lea in "Miss Saigon."
05:45 And when I spoke to her and I sent her the melody, she liked it.
05:48 She said, "Sure. When do we record?"
05:50 So I said, "Let's record Monday, Tuesday, next week."
05:53 "Great. Okay. I'll be ready."
05:55 That weekend, Monique went to Tagaytay with some friends.
05:59 She lost her voice.
06:01 Sunday night, she called me apologetically, saying that,
06:05 "I'm sorry, Tito Joe. I lost my voice. I'm sorry. I cannot sing."
06:12 "Oh, no."
06:13 In the meantime, my record producer, Beliatan, was already rushing,
06:17 "Joe, it's already September. We have to release that album."
06:21 I don't know what opened up my mind and said, "Why don't you ask your daughter?"
06:25 She has a beautiful voice.
06:27 And what a perfect combination.
06:29 Father and daughter singing a Christmas song.
06:32 So I remember going to her bedroom, and she was studying for her exams the next day.
06:38 And I said, "Liz, could you learn this song?
06:41 It's a Christmas song that I wrote, and I want it to be a duet.
06:45 Maybe you and I could sing it together."
06:47 And she said, "Sure, Dad. When is the recording?"
06:49 "Tomorrow."
06:52 "I'm sorry, you have to learn this song overnight."
06:54 "Sure, sure."
06:55 "Okay, Dad."
06:56 So she learned the song, and the next day, we walked into the studio,
07:00 and we recorded "Christmas in Our Hearts."
07:02 And as they say, the rest is history.
07:04 Let's sing Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday.
07:11 What a perfect combination.
07:13 A Christmas song sung by a father and daughter.
07:16 Remember, Christmas is family.
07:19 Christmas is more meaningful when you share it with your children.
07:23 And so that's the history of "Christmas in Our Hearts."
07:27 I'm very happy that the song has touched the lives of people young and old.
07:35 I'll tell you a very interesting story about an experience singing that song.
07:40 I was invited by Governor DiMapporo to perform in Mindanao in a concert at their huge gym.
07:47 And looking out at the audience, it was a combination of Muslims and Christians.
07:53 And they were asking for more, more, more.
07:56 What they requested for?
07:58 "Christmas in Our Hearts."
08:00 This was around May or June, middle of the year,
08:04 and they requested for "Christmas in Our Hearts."
08:07 And this was a group composed of Muslims and Christians.
08:12 Butinalang, I had the minus one.
08:14 My technician had the minus one.
08:17 And so I sang "Christmas in Our Hearts."
08:20 And when it came to Lisa's part of the song, the whole gym sang with me.
08:26 That was an unforgettable experience.
08:29 That even to the Muslims, they were singing words like,
08:32 "This season may we never forget the love we have for Jesus."
08:36 [Music]
08:50 That was an unforgettable experience for me.
08:53 And it may never happen again.
08:55 When I do concerts abroad, whether in Canada or in the U.S.
08:59 or in Zurich, Switzerland, or in Vienna, Austria.
09:03 And the Filipinos, of course, they're mostly Filipinos in the audience.
09:07 Many times, they would request me to sing "Christmas in Our Hearts."
09:11 And, you know, it's not Christmas season, but I sing it because, anyway,
09:15 it brings back memories for them.
09:17 It brings back memories of their Christmases with their families back home.
09:22 So, wow.
09:23 That's the long story about "Christmas in Our Hearts."
09:28 [Music]
09:34 Hello, this is Hossein Marie Chan.
09:37 Like and subscribe to OG.
09:40 (upbeat music)