| Noël, Soul |
Another Christmas album, right in the middle of the pack, with thankfully plenty of songs that capture the holiday spirit without boring us with the usual religious or kitschy lyrics. It’s a classic album in the genre, perfectly interpreted, but then again, it’s Gregory Porter, whose talent needs no introduction.
But when we talk about Christmas, what are we talking about? First and foremost, it’s a celebration with origins dating back a long time, marking the onset of winter, with no religious affiliations. It was originally a pagan festival, later appropriated by Christianity to enforce a particular idea and behavior on people. In some religions stemming from Christianity, it’s even forbidden to celebrate Christmas. For Christians, it’s a divisive issue. What’s even more foolish is that this end-of-year celebration has become nothing more than a commercial event, a time to be with family and friends, far removed from the religious burdens and obligations. It’s clear that with simplicity and an open mind, we can make this festive season far more enjoyable than what is imposed upon us.
But let’s return to this album. Starting today on Bayou Blue Radio, you’ll hear two tracks, ‘Snowflakes’ and ‘Everything’s Not Lost.’ These tracks are far from any religious concerns, and they’ve been remarkably reinterpreted, which is what matters. As for the rest, the traditional ‘Silent Night,’ ‘Christmas Waltz,’ ‘Little Drummer Boy,’ and ‘Christmas Time Is Here’ are available for those who wish to listen.
Between jazz, soul, and even church music, it’s hard to understand what this kind of album is doing on the Blue Note label when they’ve recently become more known for their modern and interesting releases. It seems that Christmas album sales represent a significant moment in the music industry.
This album is best reserved for purists who love Christmas sweaters and nativity scenes, with the baby Jesus being placed manually in the manger on the big day. By the way, do you know how the image of Santa Claus was created? You have to go back to 1822 for that. You can find all the information on this official page. And, of course, Santa Claus is derived from St. Nicholas, hence the sometimes-used name Santa Claus. It’s yet another Christian imagery rooted in pagan writings, and it has nothing to do with religion — absolutely nothing. So, if religions during this time could solely focus on their own affairs and let people think and do as they wish, perhaps the world would be better off.
‘Christmas Wish’ is not a bad album. Even though we may not agree with the imposed ideas of Christmas, it must be acknowledged that, despite being quite traditional, this album is a beautiful production and has found its place in the favorites of the Bayou Blue Radio and Paris-Move editorial teams.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, November 1st 2023
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