A mellow Merry Christmas and a groovy New Year

Culture Matters

The music that

made us merry

Wow, mommy’s kissing Santa Claus!/ I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus/ Underneath the mistletoe last night/ She didn’t see me creep/ Down the stairs to have a peep/ She thought that I was tucked up/ In my bedroom, fast asleep!

– I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Jackson 5

AS A CHILD, in my mind’s eye I could see Michael Jackson excitedly telling his brothers what he had just witnessed. “I did, I did, I really did see mommy kissing Santa Claus, and I’m gonna tell my daddy!”

It was 1970 and Michael was 12, but had already been performing for several years. At the time, the Jackson 5 Christmas album was essential listening for, well, everyone. The album cover featured a huge red bow and photos of the five Jackson brothers all around it. Michael, Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Germaine smiled into the camera with their cool ’fros and brightly coloured shirts.

Michael’s voice was definitive and strong, even at such a young age. Motown Records, which produced the Christmas album, clearly understood that he was the star of the group. For instance, not only did Michael lead on the song I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, he introduces the song with a sweet Christmas greeting to all listeners: “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This is Michael Jackson of the Jackson 5 wishing a happy holiday to all Motown fans.”

Although Michael was a large reason for the success of the album, there were other factors that caused it to become an instant classic, selling more than three million copies. For a start, the world was ready for this kind of Christmas music. The international socio-political environment was dominated by movements for greater civil and human rights.

In 1966, after riots in Los Angeles, Dr Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa. This was a Christmas celebration inspired by African values, designed to bring the Los Angeles community together. Further, many iconic performers of the 1970s used their talent to draw attention to issues such as war, racism and the rights of women.

Christmas was no different. In 1967, Stevie Wonder sang: “Someday at Christmas/ Men won’t be boys/ Playing with bombs/ Like kids play with toys/ One warm December/ Our hearts will see a world where men are free/ Someday at Christmas there’ll be no wars/ When we have learned what Christmas is for/ When we have learned what life’s really worth/ There’ll be peace on Earth.”

On the Jackson 5 Christmas album the 12-year-old Michael belted out the lead vocals of the Stevie Wonder song with the empathy of a much older soul, accompanied of course by 70s drum rhythms and harmonies by his brothers.

The original Give Love on Christmas Day echoed the theme of love that was common throughout the decade: “Why don’t you give love on Christmas Day?/ Oh, the man on the street and the couple upstairs/ All need to know there’s someone who cares/ Give love on Christmas Day/ No greater gift is there than love.”

That Christmas album put a unique, funky vibe into the season. Every song from Frosty the Snowman to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to the classic Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...) featured soulful vocal styles, seventies-inspired musical arrangements, humour and banter amongst the brothers. It was a masterpiece that had the effect of making Christmas accessible to audiences from a wide range of listeners.

At home, the 1970s was also a time of ferment, exploration of identity and clamouring for human rights. Christmas music was influenced by funk, rhythm and blues from the US, but the 70s caused a greater focus on our local traditions and the meaning these held for us as a growing nation.

For us, the ritual of Christmas is intertwined with music. We clean, cook and socialise to music, making this season an essential one for songs that reflect our own rituals. In fact, researcher Daniel Miller quotes a Paul Keens-Douglas monologue as he complains about all of the work the ritual causes for him: “Lord Miss Julie, dis Christmas go’ kill me/ ... Da woman cleaning house since November/ Like she married to Fadder Chrismus.”

The Christmas rituals of my childhood resonate still. Food and drink that we only have at this time – black cake, ham, sorrel, punch a creme – cleaning like Ms Julie and of course the Jacksons. To them, the final words: “We wish you a Merry Christmas/ And a Happy New Year/ The Jackson Five/ W anna wish everybody/ A mellow Merry Christmas/ And a groovy New Year.”

Be blessed everyone.

Dara E Healy is a performance artist, communications specialist and founder of the NGO, the Indigenous Creative Arts Network – ICAN