Jesse Ryan - New Aguinaldo (2025)

Tracklist

01. Do You Hear What I Hear?
02. Christmas Time Is Here
03. O Come, Emmanuel (Prelude)
04. O Come, Emmanuel
05. Little Drummer Boy
06. Que Venga
07. Rio Manzanares
08. Alegria, Alegria
09. Madame Jeffrey
10. Merry Christmas

New Aguinaldo is a joyful reimagining of holiday classics and Christmas music from Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. Blending the spirit of celebration with timeless tradition, the album channels the warmth, rhythm, and communal magic of a true island Christmas.

Inspired by the folk tradition of parang, brought to Trinidad by Venezuelan cocoa farmers in the 18th century, New Aguinaldo draws from the rich legacy of aguinaldos, or musical “gifts” shared door-to-door during the festive season. With its heart in parranda and its soul in jazz, New Aguinaldo is, in many ways, my own offering: a seasonal gift shaped by heritage, memory, and joy.

The nine-track collection brings together four beloved Christmas standards, three traditional parang songs from Venezuela and Trinidad, and two homegrown Trinidadian holiday tunes.

To bring this vision to life, Ryan turned to a circle of collaborators who feel like family. Trumpeter Andrew McAnsh; vocalists Joanna Majoko, Eliana Cuevas, and my uncle Clifton Ryan II; bassist Rich Brown; cuatro player Luis Guevara; percussionist Derek Thorne; and Maria Jose Castejon on maracas.

Together, they’ve created something festive and familiar yet unmistakably new—a holiday soundtrack that feels like home.

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [mp3]

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [flac]