If you’re a Caribbean national who couldn’t make it home this Christmas, or are an intrepid traveler of the region who is stuck in snow wishing you were lounging sun-kissed under a palm tree right now, grab a pen. This playlist is for you!
I am 100% positive it will invoke whimsical memories of sun, sand and sea, because I polled some of my closest Facebook friends to find out their favorite Yuletide songs. Their recommendations are below in no particular order:
The Great John L – Green Christmas (Virgin Islands)
Joseph Niles – Have A Merry Christmas (Barbados)
Daisy Voisin – Alegria Alegria (Trinidad and Tobago parang)
Stephanie Hava – The Christmas Collection including Mary Did You Know ( Jamaica)
Hector Lavoe y Willie Colon – Aires de Navidad (Puerto Rico)
San Jose – Se Va El Caiman (Trinidad and Tobago parang)
Boney M – Mary’s Boy Child (Euro-Caribbean)
Alston Becket Cyrus – Calypso Noel (Saint Vincent)
Carlene Davis – Santa Claus Do You Ever Come to the Ghetto (Jamaica)
Bindley Benjamin – Santa Looking For A Wife (Trinidad)
Baron – Caminante (Trinidad and Tobago parang)
Dean Fraser – Frosty The Snowman (Jamaica)
Home T 4 – Rock it for Christmas (Jamaica)
Jacob Miller & Ray I – Natty Christmas, Full Album (Jamaica)
Rikki Jai – Neighbour Neighbour (Trinidad and Tobago)
Byron Lee & The Dragonaires – Christmas Soca Party Medley (Jamaica)
Lord Kitchener – Drink Ah Rum (Trinidad and Tobago)
Susan Macio – Trini Christmas Is The Best (Trinidad and Tobago)
So head over to YouTube or iTunes and listen to these soothing, rhythmic sounds of the islands while you sip ponche de crème, ginger beer or sorrel. Of course, I also expect you to be eating heaping servings of two or more of the region’s traditional holiday menu items. That’d be mouthwatering delicacies like baked ham, crab and callaloo, curried goat, roasted chicken, jug-jug, gungo rice and peas, black cake, cassava pone, pastelles, and much more.
