Hidden Gem: Jose Alfredo Jimenez’s Holiday Songs

Today in Hidden Gem we are going to talk about an artist who is famous in Mexico but also wrote not one, but two songs for the holidays and his name is Jose Alfredo Jimenez. The Mexican singer and songwriter wrote two songs for the holiday that are 100% different to one another and made for two types of groups.

The first song Jimenez wrote is called “Ya se Va Diciembre,” which is translated to English to “It’s already gone December.” The song is about two lovers spending the last days of the holidays together and enjoy the moment. The lyrics of the song is so beautiful, and it shows how of a great songwriter Jimenez, here is a small part with the translation:

“Dejame quererte mas, dejame vivir contigo

Las ultimas horas de esta Noche Buena

Ya llego la navidad, ya llego la madrugada

Ya se va la noche con su luna llena

Dejame quererte mas, siente que dia divino

Tu me quieres tanto como ya te quiero”

“Let me love you more, let me live with you

The last hours of this Christmas Eve is here

The dawn is here the night is already with us it’s full moon

Let me love you more, feel that this divine day

You love me as much as I love you” – Jose Alfredo Jimenez

The other song that he wrote is the polar opposite to what the message of the previous song had. The song is titled “Amarga Navidad,” which is translated to “Bitter Christmas.” The song is for people who hate just hate Christmas and for people who want to end a bitter relationship. The lyrics of the song is bittersweet; it sounds like it has happened to him:

“Acaba de una vez

De un solo golpe

Por que quieres matarme poco a poco

Si va a llegar el dia en que me abondones

Prefiero corazon que sea esta noche”

“Do it all at once

With one single blow

Why do you want to kill me little by little

If the day is coming when you abandon me,

I prefer, my love, that it be tonight” – Jose Alfredo Jimenez

Jose Alfredo Jimenez knew what kind of people like and didn’t want the holiday season, so he took the time to write and made people feel what they were listening. Take the time to listen to these songs and see why he was called”El Ray” the king in Mexican music.