Matapos awitin ang ilan sa mga pinakatanyag na Pinoy Christmas songs, itinatanggi pa rin ni Jose Mari Chan na siya ang tinaguriang ‘King of Christmas Carols’ sa bansa.

Sa kaniyang pakikipanayam sa YouTube vlogging channel na “Toni Talks” ng aktres at TV host na si Toni Gonzaga noong Linggo, Agosto 31, hindi umano siya maituturing na “King of Christmas Carols” dahil marami nang mga kantang pampasko ang naisulat bago pa man siya maipanganak.

“No, no. Long before I was born, there were already many Christmas carols. Cebu, Iloilo, Tagalog, I mean Manila, there were ‘Ang Pasko ay Sumapit’,” ani 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,” dagdag pa niya.

Ibinahagi rin niya kung paano niya naisulat ang Most Popular Classic Christmas Song 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, etc. 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,” aniya.

“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,” aniya.

“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,” dagdag pa niya.

Inilahad din ng singer-composer na makalipas lang ang ilang araw matapos nilang magkita, natapos nilang isulat ang tanyag ngayong Christmas hit.

Isiniwalat niya ring ninais niyang maka-duet ang mang-aawit na si Lea Salonga sapagkat noong mga panahong iyon, “big star” umano si Salonga, ngunit hindi pumayag ang prodyuser nito sapagkat ito ay nakapokus sa “Miss Saigon.”

Sa tulong umano ng Holy Spirit at sa kaniyang pagdarasal, napagtanto niyang ang kaniyang anak na babae na si Liza Chan ang nararapat niyang maka-duet sa nasabing awitin.

Ibinunyag rin ni Chan na siya rin ang sumulat ng mga awiting “Mamang Sorbetero” ni Celeste Legaspi, na orihinal na nakasulat sa wikang Ingles. Kasama na rin sa mga kantang isinulat niya ay ang “A love to last a lifetime,” “Afterglow,” at “Can We Just Stop and Talk Awhile.”

Magpasahanggang ngayon, inaabangan at patok pa rin ang mga awiting pampasko ni Jose Mari Chan tuwing sasapit ang “Ber months,” sapagkat sa kultura ng mga Pinoy, tuwing buwan ng Setyembre nagsisimula ang pagdiriwang ng Pasko sa Pilipinas.

KAUGNAY NA BALITA: Jose Mari Chan at Mariah Carey: Hudyat ng 'Ber Months' sa Pinas-Balita

Vincent Gutierrez/BALITA