Each year’s countdown reminds me of how the world of holiday music is just packed. Sometimes it’s an accomplishment to find a Christmas album that’s worth a complete listen; finding one that’s worth coming back to year after year is a rare treat.
Well, here’s one of those rare treats: the 2019 album “Llegó Navidad” by East LA legends Los Lobos is just fantastic, a warm and genuinely unique collection. Steering clear of standards, the band instead plays mostly traditional Latin American and Tex-Mex songs, and every one is right on the money. (You could make a strong case that the version of “Feliz Navidad” here is the only really great version since Jose Feliciano’s, for example.)
“¿Dónde Está Santa Claus?” isn’t a traditional number; it was a novelty hit in the late 50s, sung by 12 year old Augie Rios, but Los Lobos work up a jolly groove and just like that, it sounds as timeless as the rest of the album. If you need a break from the holiday canon, put “Llegó Navidad” on repeat and don’t be surprised if the holidays seem fun again.
