The one thing I love about music is that everyone has their own story to tell – the musician, the lyrics, the way the fans decipher them and also the way a song can also create a memory or a meaning to someone. For this Christmas, I thought it would be fun to pause Listed for the month and celebrate Christmas songs and memories attached to them.

Track: Feliz Navidad
Artist: José Feliciano
Original Release Date: 9th November 1970

I thought it would be good to start this month by talking about a travel story because Christmas and adventure seem to go hand in hand. In 2016 we went to Seville in Spain for Christmas, I had been to different areas of the country on cruises around the festive period but never stayed in one location for more then a few hours. There was a lot of things happening for Christmas in the area such as markets, lights and decoration but there is one song that sticks in my mind when I think of this holiday.

Wherever you went in Seville, whether it was a shop, a supermarket or even an indoor market, the song Feliz Navidad would be playing on repeat. It got to a point where it was playing so much that it was one track that you could not get out of your head when you heard it. In the United Kingdom you never really hear this song so it was refreshing hearing a new song over the festive period and also realising just how popular this track is in Spain.

Whenever I hear this song now, I always think of this holiday and the memories of the holiday.

Facts About Feliz Navidad

•  Has become a Christmas classic and has gained popularity around the world.
• Feliciano says he recorded the song while feeling homesick at Christmas, missing his family in New York City and his extended family further afield as he sat in a studio in Los Angeles.