I hope to celebrate Christmas this year on board a KLM 787. Delicious, also because ‘Love Actually‘ can be seen on board. I hope the crew understands when the tears come. But I also hope to celebrate it with you. How? With a small gift! Because I know what I can make you happy with as travel fanatics. With a trip! Even if it’s musical…
But surely not Mariah and other eternal SkyRadiohohoho’s again? Not this year! Santa Claus is musically welcomed almost everywhere in the world, so as a music fanatic I dived into the Spotify ocean, looking for unknown snacks for our musical gourmet set. (You can listen to it here .
First up is the legendary Sammy Davis Jr, the most talented of the entire Ratpack, singing to us with ‘Christmas Time all over the world’, the peaceful idea behind this column. Off to South Africa, for a summery song by Juanita du Plessis, whom I once met by chance on a sunset cruise in Cape Town. So it’s a nice memory. Quickly to Ireland, where we take off our caps and raise a glass for the recently deceased Shane McGowan, lead singer of The Pogues. The woke minority was complaining about the lyrics the other day, but they were kicking off their legs. Perhaps the most beautiful Christmas song on the list.
The Merrymen from Barbados bring us the wonderful Caribbean Christmas feeling because who wants hot wine when you can drink ice-cold beer on the beach… But then quickly to the London of yesteryear, with a heartwarming song from The Muppets Christmas Carol, the best Christmas movie in the world, after Love Actually. Of course, there are also the traditional ‘Carols’, in modern versions by Canadian Lorena McKennitt, New York soul and hip-hop queen Mary J. Blige, country goddess Jennifer Nettles, and the Jordanian of Palestinian descent, Nasser Muse.
From the Netherlands I thought of Paul de Leeuw, Merol, Clean Pete and my favorite: Guillermo and Tropical Danny. A Belgian song for the children, the cheerful Japanese Mariya Takeuchi, the German-Lebanese Faady Maalouf and John Travolta sing with old familiar Australian input (also rest in peace). Moving on to the ‘Mr Christmas of the Philippines‘ (really) who sings a crisp cold song from a pretty warm country. Of course a touch of Paris, great Mexican and we’re almost back home. Where I do allow myself one primal classic, without which Christmas cannot exist. English with a touch of Greek. Guess what…
I wish you a fantastic, healthy and wanderlust year!
