It’s just over a month before Christmas, can you believe it? Will it “ketch yu inna good mood” this year? We sure hope so.
To help you get into the mood, Loop News presents a compilation of the top Jamaican Christmas songs.
1.Mek Di Chrismus ketch yu in a good mood – Home T
Written by Michael Bennett, this Home T song is the quintessential Jamaican Christmas song guaranteed to create the right atmosphere for the Yuletide season.
2. Christmas Behind Bars – Gregory Isaacs
Vybz Kartel is in jail and he could soon be joined by at least one of his peers who is facing life imprisonment on a murder charge. In the spirit of that song, check out Gregory Isaacs ‘Christmas Behind Bars’.
3. We Wish You a Irie Christmas – Jacob Miller and Ray I
This Jacob Miller and Ray I classic immediately triggers nostalgia among the older Reggae/Dancehall masses.
4. Santa Claus (Do You Ever Come To The Ghetto)
Carlene Davis’ heartfelt vocals strike the right chord for a large percentage of Jamaicans who battle terrible economic conditions and crippling poverty but still are able to smile and wring out Christmas joy, despite the odds. Many consider this to be the top Caribbean Xmas song.
5. Santa Ketch Up Inna Mango Tree
The comic ‘Santa Ketch Up Inna Mango Tree’ by Faith D’Aguilar is a big favourite at this time of the year.
6. Christmas Jamaican Style by Unique Vision
In the West Indies, this is one of the most popular songs that immediately conjures up fond Christmas memories.
7. Sing Di Chorus
“Sing di chorus, clap your hands/Beat the conga, play your pan” is the popular refrain of this popular Jamaican Christmas carol.
8 Welcome Home for Christmas by Fab 5
This uptempo song is a favourite for visiting Jamaicans who return home to the Rock to visit family and friends.
9. Christmas in the Sun – Stage Crew
Everyone remembers this 1989 song with the chorus: Down in Jamaica, there’s hot sunny weather/and people are warm and friendly all the time/Now it’s the christmas season and the fun can’t done/so have a joyful irie christmas in the sun.
10. All Sing For Jesus
With his 1973 recording of All Sing For Jesus, Ernie Smith’s brings his formidable writing style to the birth of Christ, which is, after all, what we celebrate this season. On a cheerful Jamaican riddim, the song harkens memories of a simpler, gentler time.
11. Warm Jamaican Christmas
Baby Cham and Wayne Wonder combine to bring a true dancehall sound to Christmas. Other standout dancehall songs include: Breadfruit Roasting on an Open Fire by Yellowman, and Lady Saw’s ‘Rich Man for Christmas’.
