EXCLUSIVE: José Feliciano celebrates 50 years since the release of his hit ‘Feliz Navidad’

It’s that time of the year! Who doesn’t know the iconic song ‘Feliz Navidad’? It’s a must have track on your holiday playlist, and by far, one of the most joyful and universal Christmas songs ever written. Singer-songwriter José Feliciano is celebrating 50 years since the release of his hit ‘Feliz Navidad’ with an insightful conversation on STROMBO for Apple Music Hits.

Watch some exclusive highlights of Feliciano’s interview with STROMBO where he shared great stories about the origins of the Christmas classic: ‘Feliz Navidad’.

Feliciano recalls how “Feliz Navidad” came to be:

“If there hadn’t been a Rick Jarrard, there would not have been a Feliz Navidad. Rick had said to me, Jose, why don’t you write a Christmas song? And I said, my argument was Rick, I don’t know if I could write a good Christmas song that would be able to compete with Irving Berlin and Kate Smith with ‘God Bless America’ and all those. Then all of a sudden, one day I was sitting at home with Rick in California and I started singing this melody and then the words came, and I thought to myself that if I don’t want the radio stations to turn me off, then I’d have to do it bilingually. So I could teach the Anglos how to speak Spanish and the Spanish people how to speak English,” Feliciano said.

In the interview with STROMBO, the singer-songwriter talks about his nearly 60-year music career, breaking into the industry, connecting with English and Spanish audiences, and how his family celebrates the holiday.

Feliciano on the secret to his longevity:

“Think God put me on this Earth to make music, to make people happy. And I’m glad to do that. I don’t find it to be a chore. I think I be wasting my life on earth, if I wasn’t playing this guitar. I never knew about the living part of it, but I knew that if I practice and were good at it, I could provide a livelihood for myself and I wouldn’t have to go out and beg in the streets. Once I found I was capable of making music, I went for it and of course I always felt that the forces upstairs kept pushing me towards it.”

Don’t miss this interview with living legend, Jose Feliciano, where he talks about his life story, ‘Feliz Navidad’ and his latest record.

Listen live for free today at 3PM PT/6PM ET: Strombo Show | Apple Music Hits