Jose Mari Chan in our hearts

Whenever I see girls and boys

Selling lanterns on the street

I remember the child

in the manger as he sleeps

The Philippines is very much known as a country that anticipates the Christmas season as early as September, the first of the "Ber Months" (the last four months of the calendar). This anticipation is very much seen on social media, especially when you see memes of singer-songwriter Jose Mari Chan (JMC) sitting beside his piano on a backdrop adorned with a Christmas tree.

Surrounding the picture are words that goes: "Kontrolado ko lahat ng speakers sa mall". One would definitely react with "Haha" because he/she must have heard sometime in his/her life Jose Mari's Christmas songs playing on the malls, markets, or on radio as early as September. 

From Google Images

Since his timeless songs like "Christmas in Our Hearts" and "A Perfect Christmas" are in the Christmas playlist of public areas, JMC is now known as a Christmas symbol here. Yet beyond his Christmas songs, he is worthy to be appreciated for his talent as shown in his other crafts, spanning from well-known songs he wrote to jingles you might have not known were composed by him.

An OPM master

Jose Mari Chan started his career as a host and singer of a teen-oriented program in ABS-CBN in the 60's. He then began venturing to music by releasing his first single, "Afterglow" in 1967. Two years later, he finally had his debut long playing album, entitled Deep In My Heart.

JMC started making waves when he represented the country in the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, Japan in 1973 with the song "Can We Just Stop and Talk A While". Other notable songs during this early period of his career are "Refrain", "If We Only Have More Time Together", and "A Love To Last A Lifetime"

Loving you is what I live for

And I can't ask for anything more

You're my woman, my girl, and my friend

Rolled into one

He further made a mark in the industry after managing his family's sugar business in the United States for some time. Since returning to the scene in the 80's, he created songs most of us are very much familiar with: "Tell Me Your Name", "Beautiful Girl", "My Girl, My Woman, My Friend," and the classic "Be Careful With My Heart".

The jingle-maker

Aside from writing and making OPM tracks, JMC has a portfolio of jingles. Most of them—if not all—are compiled in an album entitled Strictly Commercial: The Jingles Collection. One can see his expertise in music-making translating to well-made and notable jingles for brands such as Dial Soap, BPI, Magnolia, Nescafe, and much more. Credit him as well for the famous jingles of Philippine Airlines ("Closer to heaven. We're thirty thousand feet, up in the sky"), Knorr Real Chinese Soup (“...Just add one egg”), and—yes—Alaska ("Walang tatalo sa Alaska").

We promise you a new horizon,
bright as bright can be
So welcome world to this big, beautiful country.

He actually wrote a jingle for a TV network. It's was a short lived station during the 70's, a certain channel called BBC 2 (Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation), which took ABS-CBN's frequency after the former was shut off the air during Martial Law. "Big, Beautiful Country" is a good listen, nevertheless.

So listen to love and all it's music
Let your heart move with a dance
Where the love comes every minute,
on your Radio Romance

He was also the songwriter behind the jingles of a radio station in the early 90's. He sang the station ID of DWRR Radio Romance 101.9, ABS-CBN's love song-oriented radio station long before it became the present My Only Radio for Life.

The Christmas icon

Among other things, Christmas songs ringing in public places and media as early as September has signified anticipation for Christmas in this country. Among these songs are the classics JMC have written and sung.

In 1990, JMC released his Christmas album which would bring an impact in Philippine Christmas. Aside from Pamasko ng Mga Bituin from Wea Records and One Christmas by Ryan Cayabyab, JMC's Christmas In Our Hearts is one of the golden albums to include in your Christmas playlist. 

The title track, the hallmark of the album which he sang with his daughter Liza, seems to be the 'alarm clock' that signals the start of the longest Christmas season the world has. As the month of August nears its end, memes about Jose Mari Chan (sometimes with Mariah Carey) are generated, filling news feeds and shared by many people. 

And so, JMC has become that breath of fresh air filling the atmosphere where Filipinos are getting gradually excited (or perhaps desperate) about the approaching Christmas season. 

Thanks to his great music, and thanks to the wit of Filipinos, JMC has now become a Christmas icon. Indeed, the "Father of Philippine Christmas Music"

He has even become a Christmas ambassador for an online shopping brand! His relevance does not wane regardless of his age. 

From his humble beginnings as a prolific singer-songwriter and jingle-maker, Jose Mari Chan definitely joins other notable musicians in upholding and making Original Pilipino Music worth listening and supporting. 

In an interview with CNN Philippines, he retold of a time when he switched careers despite being a productive musician:  “After I got married, I promised my mother-in-law that I would refrain from doing show business...But you know, once you have the music in your blood — in your heart — it wants to get out.” Indeed, he got that music out. This OPM legend must not only be known for making Christmas in the Philippines unique and wonderful through his timeless songs. He is worth recognizing as a musician who dedicates himself to his craft as shown in his rich discography.

There can only be one Sir Joe who has not just 'controlled' speakers, but also captured hearts through his music that shall transcend generations.