This is the first time in the history of the Indian record industry that a Christmas LP, entirely arranged and performed by an Indian cast, singers, arranger and musicians is being released.

‘Its Christmas Day Today’was conceived by singer, song-writer and composer, Bashir Sheikh in early July, 1981.

Music India needed no second thoughts on deciding upon the release of this record after listening to the demo cassette (recorded at home), presented by Bashir featuring the title song going into Jingle Bells.

The title song, penned and composed by Bashir brings out the spirit of Christmas which is one of love, joy and togetherness. It speaks of a feeling so hard to describe and yet so simple to achieve - by loving and by sharing that love with one and all regardless of race, colour and religion.

With the completion of selection and compilation of the right songs the project was handed over to the much-sought-after arranger, Leon Desouza. Working into the wee hours of the mornings to follow, Leon came up with some excellent arrangements inspite of the limited time on hand. Then followed some equally trying sessions between the singer and the choir who fought hard against many odds to practice every single day and during the oddest of hours available, to bring out the best for this LP. It 'sounds' like they all succeeded.

The six track LP of 18 Christmas favorites is set in a medley format on both Side A and Side B and contains almost every Traditional hymn that is sung during Christmas time. This versatile record consists of both well-known Christmas songs performed by Indian artists, and is a mixture of traditional tunes to capitalize on the holiday theme that make up this collection.

So you have songs like the opening It’s Christmas Day Today, followed by Jingle Bells, Rudolph The Red nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is coming to town, While Shepherds watched, White Christmas, I saw Mummy kissing Santa Claus, Have Holly Jolly Christmas, Silent Night, Deck the Halls, Let it Snow, Silver Bells, Ding Dong Merrily on High, Winter Wonderland, Frosty the Snowman, among many other traditional favorites.

While lead vocals are by Bashir Sheikh, he has a whole supremely talented team who worked with him. They have been listed in their voice categories with the Sopranos like Argentina Correa, Janine Fonseca, Lulu Aaron, Mallika Srinivasan, Patricia D’Cunha. You also had the Altos with Margaret Fernandes, Sheila John, Wendy Mendes, while the Tenor team included Cecil Clements, Norman Pinto and Lezlie Isaacs. The back inlay has pictures of all the singers at the recording session. 

Singer, songwriter, composer, showman, drummer and band member of the now defunct The Savages, Bashir Sheikh’s talent as a writer (he writes songs in English, Hindi and Urdu) and composer came to light when he penned this first Christmas song, ‘It's Christmas Day Today’ which led to him recording many more albums.

This album was an instant hit and was followed by two more Christmas albums ‘Dear Santa Claus’ (featuring Penny Vaz) and ‘Christmas Once More’. Today, Bashir is a household name and his Christmas songs are heard globally. 

While holiday-themed tunes have a comparatively short shelf life, there is indeed something special about them. And that’s even more the case when considering a collection of songs by Indian artists who were then some of the biggest names in the music industry. The idea of bringing them together for a set like a Christmas album makes all sorts of sense.

But here we are in 2023 and this album still rings out loud. Great pressing of a classic Christmas album. Vinyl is heavy and plays well. This music sets the standard for Christmas music with this impeccable album. If you're into vinyl, you must buy this very cool Christmas album and this one rates high on my list as it is a wonderful collection of all that Christmas has to offer.

This is a wonderful journey into the past for me that still has a very old world enchanting Christmas sound over all and will be enjoyed through the holidays.

As for Bashir, fame has not changed him, he’s the simple guy next door, now settled in Bangalore. Well done Bashir. You are still remembered for wonderful music.

"May You Have A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year 2024"

Released; July 1981

Label: Music India

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira