It's definitely not "Maui Wowie" for Darren Espanto!
Remember those days when, as kids, we’d gather our neighborhood barkada, clutching DIY tambourines made of tansan (crown cap), ready to knock on every kapitbahay's gate to belt out Christmas jingles in exchange for aguinaldo?
Caroling was practically our first concert tour (around the barangay)! Kidding aside, those caroling nights gave us simple and silly core memories that will always bring us back to the magic of Christmas, no matter how old we get.
So with Christmas Day right around the corner, we asked the "It’s Showtime" hosts to dig into their own childhood memories and share the very first Christmas jingle they learned, because nothing hits quite like a good reminiscing when the holidays roll in.
Vhong Navarro and MC Muah’s mentioned a song that's synonymous with Filipino Christmas—the very immortal “Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit.” And while most of us grew up singing it without thinking about its backstory, this timeless tune actually comes with a rich and debated history. The widely accepted version credits National Artist Levi Celerio for the lyrics we know today, but some accounts trace its roots to the Cebuano song “Kasadya Ning Taknaa,” composed by Vicente Rubi and Mariano Vestil in the 1930s.
Tracing its true origin is a whole separate conversation but what we’re sure of is no Paskong Pinoy feels complete without hearing this song.
For Teddy Corpuz, his go-to caroling piece growing up was "Noche Buena," the one that starts with “Kay sigla ng gabi, ang lahat ay kay saya…” This jingle paints the perfect picture of a traditional Filipino Christmas Eve feast. It was composed by National Artist Felipe Padilla de Leon, and though it’s been interpreted by many artists through the years, the most iconic version is arguably Marco Sison’s from his 1981 album "Pamasko ng Mga Bituin."
"Sa May Bahay Ang Aming Bati…” Now this one is basically the 'national anthem' of baranggay carolers. It's the first jingle Jackie Gonzaga and Cianne Dominguez ever learned. Doesn’t it still hold its charm no matter how many generations have passed through its melody?
And as for Darren, growing up in Canada, his Christmas carol wasn’t a traditional Filipino piece, but it was still a classic—“Frosty the Snowman,” which he performed during a preschool recital. “Meron kaming wooden sticks as instruments. We would tap along the beat tapos ‘yung iba may hawak na maracas,” shared Darren, who grew up playing with snow at Christmas. Sana all, right?
A good old Christmas ballad also never fails to make the holidays feel warmer. For Lassy, “Give Love on Christmas Day” was that song. Originally performed by The Jackson 5, it captures the essence of giving from the heart, which is what Christmas is truly about.
Catch this squad on “It’s Showtime,” Mondays to Saturdays, 12 NN on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, GMA 7, and iWant.