Days leading up to September, Filipinos already started sharing memes of this Chinese-Filipino Singer who’s quite famous, especially in the “ber months.”
Jose Mari Chan memes have infiltrated the internet. It’s not surprising, given that many Filipinos associate the start of the Christmas season with September; it’s also the month when Chan’s iconic Christmas songs begin playing in the background just about everywhere. But who’s going to complain?
Although it is unknown exactly how or when this “tradition” began, perhaps the speculations of these netizens can contribute to solving this Yuletide mystery.
Who exactly is Jose Mari Chan?
Jose Mari Chan, a renowned singer-songwriter from the 1960s to the 1990s, is still a well-known artist in the Philippines.
Jose “Joe” Mari Lim Chan is a Filipino singer, TV host, songwriter, and sugar mill businessman. Not all people are familiar with the fact that he serves as the chairman and CEO of Binalbagan Isabela Sugar Company, Inc. (BISCOM) and A. Chan Sugar Corporation.
Born in Iloilo City, Chan is the first child of Antonio Chan (the sole child of a Chinese-Filipino couple) and Florencia Lim. Antonio Chan was a Chinese immigrant who came to the Philippines at the age of 13 and established a sugar trading company in Bacolod.
Jose Mari Classics
With the contemporary Christmas classic “Christmas in Our Hearts,” this 76-year-old singer-songwriter endeared himself to generations of Filipinos.
Many people remember him fondly for his decades-long career, not only for the number of hits he produced but also for his upbeat attitude and wholesome demeanor.
In a forum with Summit Media editors last September 1, 2021, Jose Mari Chan said, “I feel complimented. And blessed that I’m being associated with the most joyful season of the year,”
You’ve probably seen them all on your feed by now, many of them with a pandemic twist. But, with the start of the world’s most extended holiday season, the song “Christmas In Our Hearts” has lived longer in Pinoy pop culture — along with its singer, the endlessly cheerful Jose Mari Chan.
This seasonal association has become so iconic that it has led Chan to be chosen as a Shopee ambassador and as a popular endorser for local companies’ Christmas campaigns.
Here are some of the famous memes that were released before the beginning of September:
From a twitter post by @SumNewk tweet link here.
From a twitter post by @goddessyoona_ tweet link here.
One of his most famous songs that serves as a symbol for the Christmas season is entitled: “Christmas in our Hearts.”
It first appeared on the airwaves in 1990, and has become the Yuletide anthem for Filipinos, alongside traditional carols. The song was part of Chan’s album, also titled “Christmas in Our Hearts,” the best-selling album in the Philippines at the time.
In an interview with GMA News last 2020, thirty years since that album was released, Chan said that he feels rewarded that after 30 years, the song he wrote is still loved by people and sung year after year.”.
Chan is grateful for the support he receives from his fans because even if there are memes all over his feeds, people remember him during the Christmas season.
