Broadway singer Lea Salonga and acapella group Pentatonix have teamed up to give a new twist on the Filipino Christmas classic “Christmas in Our Hearts,” originally popularized by Jose Mari Chan.
The collaboration will be featured on the group’s “Holidays Around the World” album.
The video of the performance was released on YouTube and has garnered hundreds of thousands of views.
Salonga announced the collaboration on social media in October, expressing her excitement about performing the beloved Christmas song. “Christmas in Our Hearts” was first created in 1988 for a high school reunion and was originally titled “Ang Tubig ay Buhay,” which means “Water is Life” in English.
“Yes, folks! This is happening! Had the most wonderful time recording this classic Filipino Christmas song with @ptxofficial! And yes, fellow Pinoys, this is the Christmas In Our Hearts you think it is!” Salonga announced on social media.
Chan, who wrote the poem and set it to music, shared in an ABS-CBN News interview that the song was well-received at the reunion and has since become a holiday favorite in the Philippines.
“Tinawagan ako one day and sabi niya gumawa daw siyang poem which they were going to use in their alumni homecoming. Ang title is ‘Ang Tubig ay Buhay’ because that was their advocacy. So I set the poem to music word for word, ginawa kong melody. Nagustuhan nila. They used it in their alumni homecoming,” Chan narrated in an ABS-CBN News.
Watch the video here:
