Puerto Rico-born singer José Feliciano has gotten an apology after complaining about the use of his popular holiday song, “Feliz Navidad,” for a racist musical spoof about undocumented immigrants. The parody, titled “The Illegal Alien Christmas Song,” was created by radio producers and writers Matt Fox and A.J. Rice and was posted in mid-December on the Web site for Human Events, a Washington-based conservative weekly publication founded in 1944. One passage from the parody, sung in English, riffed on the stereotype of Latino immigrants as heavy drinkers, while another said “illegals” were going to “spread bubonic plague.”
Feliciano released a statement Wednesday saying that he was “revolted beyond words” and that the song was never meant to be “a vehicle for a political platform of racism and hate.” “When I wrote and composed ‘Feliz Navidad,’ I chose to sing in both English and Spanish in order to create a bridge between two wonderful cultures during the time of year in which we hope for goodwill toward all,” Feliciano said.
Web site editor Jed Babbin apologized Wednesday and said the song would be removed from the site. The link to the song’s page was no longer available by Thursday.
Born in Lares, Puerto Rico, in 1945, Feliciano was raised in New York City and wrote “Feliz Navidad” in 1970. It is one of the most popular Christmas songs in the world.
For full article, see http://www.prdailysun.com/index.php?page=news.article&id=1261728935
