From Villancicos to Jose Mari Chan: How Filipino Christmas music evolved

Every year, the Filipino Christmas season unofficially begins the moment Jose Mari Chan’s voice returns to malls, radios, and memes. But the history of our holiday soundtrack goes much deeper than Christmas in Our Hearts.

In this episode rerun, we trace the evolution of Filipino Christmas music—from the Spanish-era villancicos, to classic OPM hits like Ang Pasko ay Sumapit and Himig ng Pasko, all the way to the rise of Jose Mari Chan, whose songs have come to define the modern Filipino Christmas playlist.

Music educators and culture experts walk us through the traditions, cultural influences, and generations of Filipino composers who shaped the way we celebrate the holidays through song.

This episode was produced and engineered by Anthony Tobias. Jaemark Tordecilla is our editor-at-large.

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