Saturday 9: Felix Feriae

Saturday 9: Feliz Navidad (1970)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

I had no idea that song was from 1970. I am so ancient.


1. "Feliz Navidad" is Spanish for "Merry Christmas." Can you wish us happy holidays in a language other than English or Spanish?

A. Felix Feriae, which hopefully is the correct Latin for Happy Holidays. Someone correct me if necessary.

2. According to ASCAP (the American Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers), this is one of the 20 most played holiday songs of the last 10 years. What's the most recent carol that you heard?

A. Winter Wonderland, which isn't really a carol but just a seasonal song.

3. Which Christmas song do you hope you never hear again?

A. The 12 Days of Christmas. There are some funny versions of that song that I don't mind.

4. This week's featured artist, Jose Feliciano, was honored to perform this song at the tree lighting ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. If you were to win a trip to our nation's capital, which sites would you visit?

A. The Library of Congress and the Smithsonian.

5. As a very young child, Jose taught himself to play the accordion. If you could suddenly, easily learn to play any instrument, which would you choose?

A. I can already play the guitar, the piano, the flute, the saxophone, the organ, the dulcimer, and the banjo, though I only play the guitar in any decent fashion. If I were to add another to the list, I think it might be the harp. If I could play one of the above better, it would be the piano.

6. Jose says that hearing early 1950s rock on the radio made him want to become a singer. What's your favorite music genre?

A. 1970s Southern rock, if that's a genre. By that I mean, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and the Doobie Brothers.

7. At 17, Jose had to drop out of school to help support his family. Too young to enter bars, he played guitar in coffee houses for tips. Have you ever worked a job where you regularly received gratuities?

A. I played in a band when I was younger, sometimes we received tips.

8. Jose and wife Susan have been together for more than 40 years. Who is the happiest married couple you know?

A. Well, my husband and I are pretty happy together, even though we have our trials and tribulations. But most people do. I have some friends who I think are very happily married, but I won't name names. As far as celebrities go, I have no idea.

9. Jose wrote and performed the theme of the 1970s show, Chico and the Man. What's your current favorite TV show?

A. Big Bang Theory and The Newsroom.