Every Christmas time, classic and new songs embracing the spirit of the season take turns through the local airwaves, or in this day and age, in the digital realm.
Yet, a big chunk of them, in part because of Pinoy’s romanticism, connect the Yuletide breeze to purely matters of the heart or the essence of gift-giving.
Singer-songwriter Adjeng made sure that the message of her own contribution to Filipino-written Christmas repertoire tackled, in her words, “the real star of the season.”
The track, titled "In Awe" and dropped on digital stores by Friday (Dec. 3), is a collaborative composition she wrote with her vocal coach Kitchy Molina.
“I wanted to come up with a Christmas song that focuses on Jesus, on being awestruck at God’s great love that He sent His only Son to be our Savior,” expressed Adjeng who is putting out singles on a monthly basis since debuting as a solo act last summer.
The local band scene has long witnessed Adjeng’s vocal prowess as vocalist for her bands Sipol and Wink.
She explained, “While Christmas has always been a season of joy, we’ve had an influx of Christmas songs and carols that feature Christmas characters and gifts. A lot of these sometimes steal the spotlight from Jesus Christ.”
"In Awe" is Adjeng’s eighth digital single. It features again ssthe arranging expertise of her frequent collaborator Niño Regalado.
It definitely helped that Molina knows her vocal range all too well. She has been Adjeng’s voice teacher for 13 years and counting, and she describes her as “my biggest critic and one of my great encouragers.”
Sharing her thoughts in connection with the current world situation, Adjeng pointed out, “The past two years has seen all of us go through so many upheavals because of this pandemic. But nothing can stop us from embracing and celebrating Jesus Christ. And that’s what ‘In Awe’ is all about. When we take the time to bask in the magnitude of God’s love, we are able to reflect on His character.”
The Christmas tale, even if twisted over and over, remains to be among the most extraordinary events in the Bible. For Adjeng, it is fascinating how God’s Son was “born in the simplest of places, with shepherds and wise men as his first visitors.”
Adjeng’s Christmas song is a welcome addition to the ever-growing list of tunes that in essence returns to public consciousness every year. It’s timely that new Christmas hymns be given more attention as we all crave for new hope. Regular favorites sound like a broken record by now. Can’t we get tired of posting the same memes to welcome the -Ber months?
She poured out further, “I wanted to create something lasting as my gift to God for all the blessings and favors He continues to bestow upon each of us. When we take the time to reflect on Jesus as the Savior sent from heaven to live among us, we are able to remember God’s presence and the fulfillment of His Word."