Invariably, the beginning of the Christmas season in the Philippines – the “longest in the world” – is heralded by his immortal song “Christmas in our Hearts,” played on repeat in homes, on radio stations, on the internet, and pre-pandemic, in jeepneys, in malls, and other public spaces.
As the Christmas season in the Philippines begins, get to know this holiday icon.
Chan was born on March 11, 1945 in Iloilo City and was the first-born child of Antonio Chan and Florencia Lim.
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Who is Jose Mari Chan?
Jose "Joe" Mari Lim Chan (born March 11, 1945) is a Filipino singer, TV host, songwriter and businessman in the sugar industry. He is currently chairman and CEO of Binalbagan Isabela Sugar Company, Inc. (BISCOM) and A. Chan Sugar Corporation. He is also the chairman and president of Signature Music, Inc.
Awarded in 1974 as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines. He received a Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Philippine Association of the Recording Industry and The Metro Pop Foundation. Recipient of the first ever ABS-CBN "ELITE Platinum Award" in 2005 and a recipient of the 2006 Dr. Jose P Rizal Award For Excellence.
Chan was born on March 11, 1945 in Iloilo City and was the first-born child of Antonio Chan and Florencia Lim.
His father was an immigrant from Fujian, China who came to the Philippines at age 13 and started a sugar trading company in Bacolod. Chan's mother was the only child of a Chinese-Filipino couple.
Chan was exposed to music in his childhood with his maternal grandmother from Cebu often playing music at their house and his mother being a pianist. He was also accompanied by the family's house helper to participate in the radio program Children's Hour on DYRI where children performed the piano, sang, and recited poetry.
Chan wrote his first song at age 13.
Chan's father was supportive of his involvement in Children's Hour but was reluctant of supporting his music career by the time he was age 14 or 15 when he began composing songs. His father was concerned their Chinese background would put Chan at a disadvantage in the music industry and encouraged him to relegate his music pursuits as a hobby and to pursue a business career instead.
When Chan reminded the older gentleman that he did have a flair for composing, he was told that that particular field "would not be enough to support a family." It was then he realized the wisdom and concern voiced by his parent.
In 1994, he released his eighth album, Thank You Love, where he has another song "Is She Thinking About Me" with Christine Bersola-Babao and another Christmas song, "Christmas Past". His 2001 album A Heart's Journey won Album of the year in the Awit Awards. In 2005, he composed "We're All Just One" as the theme song of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games. In 2007, he released his 12th album Love Letters and Other Souvenirs.
He is married to Mary Ann Ansaldo and has five children, who have inherited their musical talent from him. His daughter, Liza, has been featured in several duets with him. His sons Joe & Mike Chan formed a musical duo and released their debut album in 2019 under Star Music.
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Musical Career
Chan first appeared on the local scene as a guest on Pilita Corrales's program An Evening with Pilita in 1965. The next year, he became the host and singer of a television show called 9 Teeners of ABS-CBN 3 (now ABS-CBN 2) which aired on weekdays and Saturday in 1966.
Since he was a junior student at that time at Ateneo and he was being encouraged to become a businessman, his father only consented his involvement if he was not paid salary for the stint. His first single "Afterglow" was released in 1967. He would release his first album two years later. after he was approached by an independent record producer.
His first long playing album Deep in My Heart was issued in 1969. In 1973, he represented the Philippines in the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo where his song "Can We Just Stop And Talk Awhile" went into the final entries.
For more or less than four years from 1970 to 1974, Jose Mari Chan was able to compose more than 20 songs for movies and earned him different recognitions and nominations at the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS Awards).
He also wrote several well-loved commercial jingles, among which are the Philippine Airlines' "Love at Thirty Thousand Feet", the Knorr Chinese Soup jingle, and the Alaska Milk jingle. Between 1974 and 1975 he was the Star of a series of Television Network Specials spotlighting his words and music.
In 1990, his Christmas album, Christmas in Our Hearts was released. It reached triple platinum status that same year, eventually earning the Double Diamond Record Award in 1995, for selling over 20 million units. The significant popularity of his iconic Christmas songs and the album during the holiday season annually earned him the title "Father of Philippine Christmas Music".
In 1994, he released his eighth album, Thank You Love, where he has another song "Is She Thinking About Me" with Christine Bersola-Babao and another Christmas song, "Christmas Past". His 2001 album A Heart's Journey won Album of the year in the Awit Awards. In 2005, he composed "We're All Just One" as the theme song of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games. In 2007, he released his 12th album Love Letters and Other Souvenirs.
In 2009, Chan was inducted to the Philippines Eastwood City Walk Of Fame.
In 2011, he released his 13th full-length album, The Manhattan Connection: The Songs of Jose Mari Chan. The album, which was produced by Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer. The songs were reimagined by music producer Yaron Gershovsky.
In 2012, he released his 14th over-all album Going Home to Christmas. It was his second Christmas album after 22 years since Christmas In Our Hearts was released in 1990.
Due to Chan's association to Christmas music in the Philippines, he has been a frequent subject of internet memes during the Christmas season in the country which traditionally starts in September. Because of his popularity during these seasons, he was known as the "King of Filipino Christmas Carols"
A Jose Mari Chan meme. |
He is married to Mary Ann Ansaldo and has five children, who have inherited their musical talent from him. His daughter, Liza, has been featured in several duets with him. His sons Joe & Mike Chan formed a musical duo and released their debut album in 2019 under Star Music.
Jose Mari Chan's Discography
Albums
- Deep in My Heart (1969)
- Can We Just Stop and Talk Awhile (1973) - Tokyo World Popular Song Festival
- Afterthoughts (1974)
- Here and Now (1975)
- A Golden Collection (1985)
- Constant Change (1989) - 2× Diamond
- Christmas in Our Hearts (1990) - 2× Diamond
- Thank You, Love (1994)
- Strictly Commercial: The Jingles Collection (1997)
- Souvenirs (1998)
- A Heart's Journey (2001) - Awit Awards, Album of the Year
- Love Letters and Other Souvenirs (2007)
- The Manhattan Connection (2011)
- Going Home to Christmas (2012)
- Christmas in Our Hearts: 25th Anniversary Edition (2015)
Songs (Singles)
- "Afterglow"/"Pines" (1967)
- "Run Jimmy Run"
- "I Only Live to Love You"/"Night Time"
- "Love Me as Though There Were No Tomorrow"
- "High and Mighty"/"Seventh Dawn" (accompanied by the Sandpipers)
- "This Guy's in Love with You"
- "Deep in My Heart"/"Leave You" (1969)
- "Walk on Girl"
- "Love Is for the Two of Us" (with Pilar Pilapil)
- "Can We Just Stop and Talk Awhile"/"From Day to Day" (1973)
- "Refrain"/"Times We're In" (1973)
- "What Is a Sweetheart" (1976)
- "A Love to Last a Lifetime"/"A Love Song" (1978)
- "Tell Me Your Name"/"One of Many" (1985)
- "Beautiful Girl" (1989) (also covered by Martin Nievera, Christian Bautista, Parokya Ni Edgar & Ben&Ben)
- "Can't We Start Over Again" (1989)
- "A Perfect Christmas" (1990) (also covered by Various OPM Artists Feat. Ben&Ben, December Avenue, Moira Dela Torre & More)
- "Christmas in Our Hearts" (1990)
- "Perfect Christmas" (1990)
- "A Whole New World" (duet with Lea Salonga) (1992)
- "Please Be Careful with My Heart" (1989) (featuring Regine Velasquez) - used as the theme for the TV series of ABS-CBN, Be Careful with my Heart
- "Constant Change" (1989)
- "Is She Thinking About Me?" (featuring Christine Bersola-Babao)
- "If We Only Had More Time Together"
- "Easier Said Than Done"
- "Love at Thirty Thousand Feet" (1976) - commercial jingle of the flag carrier of the Philippines, Philippine Airlines
- "My Girl, My Woman, My Friend" (1988) - featuring Janet Basco
- "Perhaps Love" - featuring Liza Chan
- "So I'll Go"
- "Here and Now"
- "We're All Just One" (2005) - official anthem of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games
- "Afraid for Love to Fade"
- Counterpoint to Lennon & McCartney's "Here, There & Everywhere"
- "Radio Romance" - station identification jingle of Radio Romance 101.9 (now MOR 101.9)
- "Big Beautiful Country" - station identification jingle of the now-defunct television station Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation (BBC2) "now ABS-CBN 2 or now currently known as Kapamilya Channel & A2Z 11"
- "Good Old Fashioned Romance"
- "Part of Your Life"
- "Mr. Songwriter"
- "Sing Me Your Song Again, Daddy"
- "No Rewind, No Replay"
- "Thank You, Love" (2007)
- "The Sound of Life"
- "Empty Space" (2003) - original by the Bukas Palad Music Ministry
- "Going to the Past"
- "Christmas Past"
- "Constantly" (2012)
- "Pagdating Ng Pasko" (2013) - first Tagalog Christmas song
Collaborations
- Gold Ito! (Dyna Music, 1988)
- Ginintuang Diwa ng Pasko (Universal Records/WEA Records, 1989)
- Maayong Pasko (Universal Records/WEA Records, 1989)
- Presence (Universal Records 2002)
- Only Selfless Love 2 (Universal Records, 2003)
- Something More (JesCom Music, 2004)
- Best of OPM Love Songs (Universal Records, 2005)
- Best of OPM Acoustic Hits (Universal Records, 2005)
- OPM Gold Christmas (Universal Records, 2006)
- OPM Superstars Christmas (Universal Records, 2006)
- Sail On...His Most Holy Face (Universal Records, 2006)
- OPM Platinum Christmas (Universal Records, 2007)
- Isang Kinabukasan: A GMA Kapuso Foundation Benefit Album (GMA Music, 2007)
- HOPE... Healing of Pain and Enlightenment (Star Music, 2007)
- No. 1 Signature Hits OPM's Best (Vicor Music Corp., 2008)
- Senti 18 Pinoy Love Hits (Vicor Music Corp., 2008)
- Bongga! (The Biggest Retro OPM Hits) (Universal Records, 2008)
- Bongga! 2 (The Biggest Retro OPM Hits) (Universal Records, 2009)
- Paalam, Maraming Salamat Pres. Aquino (A Memorial Tribute Soundtrack) (Star Music, 2009)
- RJ Duets (MCA Music, 2012)
- A Love to Last (The Official Soundtrack) (Star Music, 2017)
Music videos
- Christmas In Our Hearts (Original released in 1990, music video releases in 1991 featuring his real life daughter Liza Chan-Parpan; re-released music video exclusive by MYX Channel for MYX Live featuring Julie Ann San Jose as a new version in 2019)
- A Perfect Christmas (Original released in 1990, music video releases in 1991; re-released music video exclusive by MYX Channel for MYX Live as a new version in 2019)
- Beautiful Girl (Original released in 1989, music video released in 1991)
- Tell Me Your Name (Original released in 1985, music video released in 1991)
- Constantly (2012, featuring his best friend guitarman RJ Jacinto)
- Afterglow (2013, featuring his best friend guitarman RJ Jacinto)
Awards
- Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines for the Arts 1974
From Ten Outstanding Young Men Awards - Lifetime Achievement Award
From Philippine Association of the Recording Industry - Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino Award
From Philippine Association of the Recording Industry - Antonio C. Barreiro Lifetime Achievement Award
From Metro Pop Foundation - Elite Platinum Award 2005
From ABS-CBN
- Dangal ng OPM 2011
From Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit - Puso ng Saya Award 2019
From GMA Network Sunday Pinasaya - Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist (Performance Award) from 2008 Awit Awards
Nominated for "Windmills of Your Mind" - Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist (People's Choice Award) from 2008 Awit Awards
Nominated for "Windmills of Your Mind" - Celebrity Inductee
Eastwood City Walk Of Fame 2009 - MYX Music Awards
MYX Magna Award 2010 - PMPC Star Awards for Music
Levi Celerio Lifetime Achievement Award 2019
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