Freddie Aguilar

In 1994, folk/rock singer Freddie Aguilar released Diwa Ng Pasko (Spirit of Christmas), a Christmas album. Freddie Aguilar is one of the Philippines' most respected musicians, and he pioneered Filipino folk/rock in the 1970s. He is backed here by the Watawat Band. Aguilar is known for his depth-filled, penetrating voice, which he puts to good use on the album. A renowned songwriter, he composed eight of the album's ten songs. Diwa Ng Pasko contains excellent folk-styled Christmas music and is a joy to hear.

The opening song, the acoustic-styled "Sa Paskong Darating" (This Coming Christmas), moves at a slow, steady pace and builds wonderfully. The song tells of a man's love for a woman, which is strong whether or not it's Christmas, but has a special warmth during the Christmas season. The ballad, "Pasko Ang Damdamin" (The Feeling of Christmas), tells of the joyfulness a worker feels in coming home from an overseas job to see his family for Christmas. The songs are sung in Aguilar's depth-filled, passionate manner, which has become a trademark for him. "Pasko Na Naman Kaibigan" (It's Christmas Time Again) moves on a spirited gait, while the instrumentation to "Sa Araw Ng Pasko" (In the Day of Christmas) has a swinging, '50s-styled ambience to it. According to the album notes, Diwa Ng Pasko was recorded live in the studio, accompanied by the Watawat Band, and the result is a very professional-sounding album. This is a nice Christmas album. ~ David Gonzales, Rovi