American singer Ryan Gallagher, sanay na sa Paskong Pinoy

Hindi na bago sa Paskong Pinoy si Ryan Gallagher, ang American singer and alumnus of the popular reality show, The Voice, na recently ay nag-promote sa bansa ng kanyang new Christmas single, The Feeling of Christmas.

Known for his powerful vocals and captivating performances, ipinarinig ni Ryan ang kanyang heartfelt holiday song with his Filipino fans.

Ang nasabing kanta na unang napakinggan sa Apple Music, ay mabilis na nagustuhan ng karamihan dahil sa fresh take on the holiday season, infusing it with his unique musical style and emotive vocals.

Dahil sa ilang beses na niyang pagbisita sa bansa, tinuturing ng gwapong singer ang Manila his second home and always looks forward to connecting with his Filipino friends and soaking in the festive atmosphere.

At tumatak sa kanya ang kabaitan ng mga Pinoy lalo na nung nagkasakit siya sa bansa.

Nagkaroon siya ng dengue noong unang punta niya ng Pilipinas, pag-aalala niya. At ilang araw siyang na-hospital.

Ang kilala lang niya noon ay sina Dra. Vicki Belo and her daughter Cristalle.

Kaya naman ang mag-ina ang tinawagan ng hospital kung saan siya naka-confine. At doon niya napatunayan ang sobrang kabaitan ng mag-ina nang alagaan siya hanggang sa siya ay gumaling.

Anyway, The Feeling of Christmas captures the nostalgic and joyous spirit of the holiday season kaya ang sarap pakinggan.

“I wanted to capture the feeling of Christmas for me. For me, it was all about the snow, the gifts, and the presence of family and loved ones. But then I thought, it’s Jesus’s birthday, and what did he do? The story of Christmas is about Him coming into the world to save us, right? So, I wanted to write something that was dear to my heart but also fun and upbeat,” explained Ryan.

Ito ay bahagi ng 16-song Christmas album that was recorded last year with a full orchestra in Nashville, Texas, and Los Angeles.

Bagama’t sa 2024 pa ang release ng kanyang album, nag-decide silang unahin nang i-release ng The Feeling of Christmas.  “I sat at the piano in Orange County and just started hitting the chords. And then, I realized I needed some help with the melody. So I went to my buddy Harlan Hodges, and he’s a beautiful composer in Los Angeles. And we just started writing out ideas like that nostalgic thing, and it took about a day to get the actual thing down but then two more years to get the sound I wanted to sound like,” aniya kung paano nabuo ang nasabing Christmas song.

Sa kanyang pananatili sa bansa, plano ni Ryan na makipag-collab sa Pinoy talents.  “I’m very thankful for the support of the Filipino people throughout my career. They’ve been helpful and encouraging, and I owe so much to them. Whenever I’m here, it’s like a snowball effect, one gig after another,” sabi pa niya na bukod sa napakagandang boses, eh, napakalinaw pang nabitawan  ang lyrics ng OPM hits na Minsan Lang Kitang Iibigin at Kahit Isang Saglit.

Kaya naman hindi lang siya pinalakpakan kundi sinabayan pa siyang kumanta ng ilang showbiz editors / writers.

Nasa drawing board din ang paggawa ni Ryan ng original songs at shows para mas makilala pa siya ng Pinoy fans. “Write original Pinoy music from a foreign aspect. (That’s) kinda cool. But let’s see,” pahayag pa ng classically trained baritone-tenor.

Nakatrabaho na rin niya sina Carrie Underwood, Josh Groban at Lea Salonga.

Ang Fire and Ice nina Ice Sequerra at Liza Diño ang nagma-manage kay Ryan.