Eight Good Christmas Songs ?? One of the 25 most played Christmas songs of all time, Jose Feliciano’s Feliz Navidad only has six Spanish and 13 English words in the entire lyric – but they sure get repeated a lot!
favourite Christmas song? – not this one!
If I had to choose a favourite Christmas song this would not be it. I’d go for The Pogues, Fairytale of New York, or Bruce Springsteen’s rendition of Santa Claus is Coming to Town or, maybe, Chris Rea’s, Driving Home for Christmas.
Having said that, I always feel it’s not really Christmas until I hear the dreadful strains of Feliz Navidad pounding the airwaves – and today it happened!
jose feliciano
Jose Feliciano was born in Puerto Rico (one of ten brothers). He’s an accomplished guitarist and singer/songwriter. He has been blind since birth. He’s had hit records in Spanish and English.
controversy
In December 2009 a parody of Feliz Navidad entitled “The Illegal Alien Christmas Song” was created and posted on an Associated Press website in the US. It was sung in English and made fun of the stereotype of Latino immigrants as being heavy drinkers and spreaders of disease.
Jose was rightfully upset and said;
This song [Feliz Navidad] has always been a bridge to the cultures that are so dear to me, never as a vehicle for a political platform of racism and hate. It’s disgusting and my only wish that my song and I are distanced from the whole affair as soon as possible.
Jose received an apology from Associated Press and the song was removed it from the website.
feliz navidad fax
- Feliz Navidad is one of the 25 most played Christmas songs of all time.
- Released in 1970, Feliz Navidad has charted twice but not in the 70s! It charted first in 1998 and then in 2000.
- The highest position Feliz Navidad has ever reached on the US singles charts is #70 in 1998. In 2000 it peaked at #105.
- The words of Feliz Navidad are very simple: “Feliz Navidad, próspero año y felicidad” means simply, “Merry Christmas, prosperous year and happiness.” The English portion of the song says, “I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart.”
- Jose’s version of Feliz Navidad is one of the most downloaded and aired Christmas songs in the United States and Canada.
- Feliz Navidad has been covered by many artists including, Celine Dion, David Hasselhoff, Moby, The Von Trapp Children, Boney M, The Wiggles, 1910 Fruitgum Company, and Michael Bublé.
- Feliz Navidad lyrics
what’s your favourite Christmas song?
Click on COMMENT below and tell the rest of us. (Unless it’s Wham’s, Last Christmas – you might want to keep that to yourself!).
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feliz navidad – jose feliciano
seventies music 
First equal GK – of course John Lennon and Yoko Ono Lennon’s ‘Happy Christmas (War is over)’ is there but I equally adore Darlene Love’s ‘Christmas (Baby please come home)’. Phil Spector at his over the top best!
Wozza
P.S. The George Michael song is excellent – catchy and well played/sung – why don’t you like it?
Re Last Christmas – you’re right – it’s great in many ways but EVERYONE I know seems to claim it as their favourite.
And, you are, as usual, quite right – Happy Christmas (War is Over) is a great song.
G.
Aaaaggghhh, now it’s in my head and I haven’t even actually heard it!!
That’s the danger Miki – it’ll be there until mid-February now! 🙂
I actually do enjoy the bouncy Christmas tunes but my favourite but slightly morose Christmas song is Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’ – saw her in early 80s but can’t recall if she sang it then, think it was summer so probably not. Anyway, keep rolling out the chirpy ones to lift our spirits!
I like O Holy Night – most versions are okay but I recently bought a Christmas album of all NZ artists and Holly Smith does a really good version with Annie Crummer.
It also has Feliz Navidad done by the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra on it.
Hi – both really cool . . . ukuleles rule!
AND . . . Pak ‘n Save muzak just had Feliz Navidad . . . no idea who was singing, but kind of had a calypso theme to it!!
O Holy Night – when sung right – is fantastic! And Holly Smith’s version is great. Good to hear you’re still keeping it Kiwi from over there… x
I also heard Feliz Navidad today – in Starbucks… that Jose must be making a fortune out of it! 🙂
Think the most annoying Xmas song must be Snoopys Christmas. Don’t have a favorite but have to agree with Wozza Darlene Love’s ‘Christmas (Baby please come home)’ is a great song. Think she may have done a version of it with U2? ‘Fairytale of New York’ is definitely up there as well.
True about Snoopy – maybe a tie with Feliz Navidad for the most boring song. I heard Snoopy this week. If it had been a 70s song I might have written about it but it came out, I think, in 1967.