soca santa
Merry Christmas!
Listening to the radio this morning, I was reminded yet again of two things. First, that Caribbean artistes have the most amazing habit of creating Christmas music that is not the same boring old stuff I’ve heard forever. Second, that my grandfather, who was Puerto Rican, would have really liked to live in Grenada. I remember him mentioning parang as the only “real” Christmas music out there. Typically, he didn’t really explain what parang was. But I realize now I heard it all the time during my childhood. Which probably explains why soca parang gives me just the warmest fuzziest feeling ever.
This is Soca Santa, by Machel Montano of Trinidad & Tobago. When I posted this on Twitter, @afrobella told me that this song is how she figured out there was no Santa Claus. I guess the equivalent for an American might be getting wise to the Santa myth by listening carefully to the lyrics of I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. I personally was disabused of the Santa Claus notion by my nursery school “boyfriend”… who was Jewish.
P.S. Here are two yummy Christmas reads: The Truth of Christmas: God on the Ground and It’s a Narnia Christmas.
Posted on December 25th, 2008 under Grenada • Tags: caribbean, christmas, expat, Grenada, parang, soca, songs I like, T&T. • 
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December 25th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I love Christmas in Grenada. Even more than I like Christmas in Germany, though Christmas here can be very nice too. One year when I was down there I picked up a tape of Caribbean Christmas tunes. The kids loved it and we listened it at nauseum for years to come. Somehow, sadly we lost the tape and I can’t remember all the tunes on it. I do remember “I want something special for me Christmas” and “Santa’s looking for a wife”. There was a song about something with pork, but for the life of me, I can’t remember any more… Thanks for bringing back such good memories. All the very best to you and your family.
lilalia´s last blog post..Christmas Eve
December 25th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
*Santa’s Looking for a Wife* is great! It still plays on the radio all the time. Music brings back such memories, doesn’t it? Merry Christmas!
January 14th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
we have one in barbados which plays out as the man comes home and catches his wife kissing santa clause