Welcome back, Mister Chan

Jose Mari Chan is now out as one of the country’s favorite symbols of Christmas. These past 35 years, the most played song of all has been Christmas in Our Hearts by Jose Mari. We can also welcome the Yuletide Season with the song Mister Chan by producer and arranger Gino Cruz and with Jon Santos as the singer. Gino used the titles of the recordings of Jose Mari in it and had actor-impersonator Jon Santos record it. The result is such a fun romp that made my day and night too and which I now want to share with you.
STAR / File

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It is now September, and Jose Mari Chan is out. I do not mean that kind of out. I mean out as in coming out of his eight-month hibernation. He is now out as one of the Philippines’ favorite symbols of Christmas.

You know how Filipinos love celebrating the Christmas Season and we do this earlier than any other country in the world. So, while everybody elsewhere is looking out for Thanksgiving or Halloween, Pinoys are already in Christmas mode.

How do we do this? By playing Christmas music as early as Sept. 1. And these past 35 years, the most played song of all has been Christmas in our Hearts by Jose Mari.

The song has now become our favorite harbinger of the Yuletide Season. Hence, the joke of Jose Mari coming out on Sept. 1, preceded late in August by lots of amusing memes and posts online, performances on radio and TV and even live concerts, has become fully widespread.

All of those lead to Sept. 1, when Jose Mari will be out again and you can play Christmas in Our Hearts without your neighbor thinking, who is that crazy guy playing Christmas music in September. For all you know, that neighbor of yours might have also caught the fever and has already started playing his Christmas songs.

Do you want to go a step further welcoming Christmas through Jose Mari?

You can write a song. This is what producer and arranger and son of Omy Cruz Jr. and Tweetums Gonzales, Gino Cruz did, using the titles of the recordings of Jose Mari. Then he got actor and impersonator and Jose Mari Chan admirer Jon Santos to record the song.

Titled Mister Chan, the result is such a fun romp that made my day and night too and which I now want to share with you.

Here goes.

“Ooh Mr. Chan/ (Mister Chan, Mister Chan) I know you’re a busy man/ (Mister Chan, Mister Chan)/ The times we’re in/ (Mister Chan, Mister Chan)/ Make you a man of many memes. It’s not your fault that Christmas moments start to show up in September/ But can we stop and talk a while/ if we only had more time together.

“Oh Uncle Joe/ (Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe) Strange and funny afterglow/ (Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe) The sound of life will impart / (Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe) Easier said than done don’t rush it/ Be gentle, sit and take a minute or a week, a month or two or three/ Not more, there’s no getting over you.

“Refrain. So Mr. Chan/ (Mister Chan) If I were only a rich man/ (Mister Chan) I’d say here and now.

“Can’t we start over again/ (Mister Chan) Oh Uncle Joe/(Uncle Joe) Some after thoughts on a TV show/ (Uncle Joe) The Christmas Story will not leave you/ It’s a moment’s dream come true/ A heart’s journey, if you wish so I’ll go/ Hurry back when it’s November/ Stay my love in December/ Night and day this is the season’s start/ and we can all have Christmas in our hearts/ (With Mister Chan).

“Ooh Mister Chan/ (Mister Chan, Mister Chan) No need to tell me your name/ (Mister Chan, Mister Chan) Every beautiful girl/ (Mister Chan, Mister Chan) is enchanted just the same/ (Mister Chan, Mister Chan) From constant change to Christmas children/ now we share the same horizon/ can you sing me a song again daddy/ Till it’s time for this beautiful day.