Why I used to think like that I really do not know. I did not like the cold once I got past the age of about 30. Or was it 35? Who cares, I hate the cold now. That's one of the many reasons I live in what many call paradise: Palawan, in the south west of the Philippines.
Being a predominantly Christian country, Christmas is a big occasion in the Philippines. It is also still a religious occasion, which of course it should be. Only a tiny percentage of people can afford gifts, so the emphasis is on family holidays, time together, and for many going to church. Very few families have anything special for Christmas lunch, they just don't have the money. They do make up for it, though, as Filipinos certainly know how to enjoy themselves.
Despite the lack of money in most families, Christmas starts early in the stores, around August. One thing they go in for in a big way here is Christmas lights. Sometimes even the poorest homes will be adorned with fairy lights, some having quite spectacular displays. Even in early November last year, as I travelled back from the jungle's edge about 90km south, it was quite magical to see the Christmas lights as we got near the city.
My first Christmas in the country was memorable. I was invited to a girlfriend's house Christmas Eve, a very poor but very friendly neighbourhood with mostly small timber houses cramped next to each other; intimate to say the least. Outside in the garden (a tiny yard) there were lights everywhere, set up for the party that would last all evening and into the night. I remember sitting there as they got everything organised around me, how magical and special it all was. Just a few months earlier I had been a resident in England and had only experienced Christmas in England. Now, I was sitting outside on a hot Christmas Eve, the sound of tropical insects a prelude to the modern disco music that was to follow later. I loved it.
As with most occasions in the Philippines, there were lots of children. Neighbours came and went, people moved from one party to another, and there was a constant flow of people and especially children. Children's games were followed later by adult versions of children's games, most of which have come from Western influence, but Filipinos always put their own stamp on the foreign habits they adopt. Alcohol would not have been a part of the occasion, but the adults were delighted when I offered to buy beer and rum.
At midnight, I was advised to go inside. I soon saw why. All hell broke loose with fireworks as midnight approached, exploding from every tightly packed, confined little garden in the neighbourhood. Fireworks that would have been banned in the UK, but I have to admit they were very loud and impressive. I was amazed, as nobody had warned me of this tradition beforehand.
Now, all my Christmases are tropical, and very different from those in England. I sometimes wonder how much Christmas would change here if it ever became a wealthy country. The major differences between here and England are the profligate spending and materialism in England, and the normal subdued spending in the Philippines. Yet, it is the Filipinos who seem more able to enjoy it that the English.
Oskar's Influences include Pizzazz & Latino Los Lobos, Selena, John Williams, Tito Puente, Santana, Herb Alpert, Cubanismo, Maynard Ferguson, Julius Wechter, and Leroy Anderson. The challenge for any listener will be to hear all of those influences coming through at any time during the run of each track. In the end, that is what makes this album so much fun. He also offers some vocals in Spanish, rocks out, throws in some Ventures licks here and there, and comes up with something so unique and entertaining that you will be reaching for this CD at any time of the year. He does this consistently in all 24 tracks. Attention grabbing compositions like ?Fur Elise? and ?Decking The Halls in 1966? are bound to give lovers of pure and original music a grin from ear to ear.
This CD is also inspired by: Trans-Siberian Orchestra, The Ventures, Handel, Mannheim Steamroller, Mason Williams, J.S. Bach,Beethoven, Aaron Copland, & "The 21st Century Chairman of the Board" Herb Alpert!
The challenge for Oskar on this extensive Holiday release was to take all of his influences and put them together to make it an enjoyable experience for those who enjoy good music and love having their hearts filled with the spirit if the Holidays. Ultimately, he succeeds in covering all the bases on this pleasing release.
This year around the holidays look no further than Juan Oskar to put a jingle in your jangle and some ho-ho in your step with Christmas Is for Grownups Too.
Juan Oskar has 24 musical treats for you to delight in this year on his Christmas Is For Grownups Too CD. Oskar takes his trusty Yamaha Motif ES6 Keyboard, his trumpet, a few very well done vocal parts from some talented female vocalists, and turns it into one big festival of the holidays for a worldwide audience to enjoy.
So again, here I am looking at another CD that has a lion's share of processed music through a keyboard. The doubt creeps in, you start questioning the talent of the artist, and then something magical happens and suddenly all of that trepidation disappears and you are really enjoying what you are hearing, what do you know? This has been happening to me more often, especially this year for some reason. So many crafty artists are coming up with these well put together CDs by using one incredible keyboard like the ES6, taking some real instruments, played very well by the way, then adding a variety of vocals. Surprisingly, time after time, this offers any listener seeking something different with a unique blend of sounds and genres all wrapped tightly with a bright red bow ready for Christmas an option that was rarely available before. This year around the holidays, you have to look no further than Mr. Oskar. Ok, you have your Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, and The Carpenters CDs, all wonderful holiday music, but then you have something like this that is totally out the ordinary, something you would actually like to listen to anytime.
Oskar plays jazz with a Latin influence, has some vocals in Spanish, rocks out, throws in some Ventures licks here and there, and comes up with something I have never heard before. He does this consistently in all 24 tracks, now that is a lot of music, a double LP back in the day you know (for those of you that can remember or discovered vinyl recently). My favorite track on the entire album is "Fur Elise," I felt it was one of the more exceptional offerings on the CD while "Decking The Halls in 1966" is like a Ventures greatest hits of the 60s sampled and sandwiched in between the traditional "Deck The Halls." That track really got my attention and made me realize that the CD was coming to end very soon. I knew that what I was hearing has to be one of the most entertaining and different holiday CDs in many years.
One can no longer underestimate the talents of individuals that can manipulate a keyboard to sound like an entire ensemble; it takes ingenuity and creativity to record a CD like this. Viva! Juan Osakar and Feliz Navidad to all.
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