Big Freedia and Kelly Finnigan
Bounce doesn’t seem like a natural pairing with Christmas anywhere but New Orleans, where it is the sound of a party. There are a number of artists and producers who have made bounce Christmas music, but none have taken to it more prominently or prolifically than New Orleans’ Big Freedia, who will release her second EP of Christmas music, Smoking’ Santa Christmas on Friday. It follows 2016’s A Very Big Freedia Christmazz and an assortment of single tracks including one, “Make It Jingle,” from 2016’s Office Christmas Party soundtrack and another as a feature on RuPaul’s “Jingle Des Bells.”
We talk about her relationship to Christmas music as an artist, as a businessperson, and as a New Orleanian, where one of the songs that signaled the onset of Christmas for her was “Otis and Bonquisha.” I didn’t know the song, so we take a time out to briefly explore “Xmas Blues” by Big Time.
Big Freedia also released the paperback edition of her memoir, God Save the Queen Diva, on December 1. It’s on sale now.
Since Christmas is approaching, this episode has a second interview, this one with retro soul singer, producer and songwriter Kelly Finnigan. Finnigan is best known as the singer for Monophonics, and this season he released A Joyful Sound, which is exactly the album you’d expect from a student of soul music. Along the way, he talks about the influence of Ray Charles, Curtis Mayfield, Charles Stepney, and gospel music. He talks about the role those artists had shaping the music, and the trust he placed in members of the R&B community around the country who contributed to the album.
I also revisit my Twelve Songs Manifesto, which lays out my beliefs about Christmas music, and share music by Louisiana artists Chas Justus, who along with musical friends from South Louisiana released the EP Joyeux Noel, Bon Chrismeusse, and Museumgoer, who radically remakes Stan Kenton’s “What is Santa Claus?” with a vocal by me.
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