This is the fifth of the Jamaica Observer’s daily 12-part series, 12 Days of Chrismus. The series ends on Christmas Day.

A JAMAICAN Christmas is incomplete without the sounds of Boney M’s Mary’s Boy Child — Oh My Lord.

The catchy interpretation of this holiday classic has resonated with local audiences since its release in 1978, perhaps because two original members of Boney M were born in Jamaica. Elizabeth Rebecca ‘Liz’ Mitchell hails from Clarendon, while Marcia Barrett is from St Catherine.

The two were based in the United Kingdom when the group was formed in 1976. Boney M was completed by Maizie Williams and Bobby Farrell. The group achieved popularity during the disco era of the late 1970s with songs including By The Rivers of Babylon and Brown Girl in the Ring.

Mary’s Boy Child also has another Jamaican connection.

The track was first recorded by American entertainer Harry Belafonte back in 1956, having heard it being performed by a choir. Belafonte’s mother is Jamaican; he was born in New York, but spent his early years on the island.

It was one of the singles on his album An Evening with Belafonte. The single reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in November 1957 and was the first single to sell over one million copies in the UK alone. To date, Belafonte’s version has sold over 1.18 million copes.

Boney M’s version is a medley with the song Oh My Lord. Reports indicate that the song was recorded in November of 1978 and rushed to meet the holiday season.

The song topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks and spent eight weeks on the charts. It was the second single for the group in the UK’s all-time best selling singles list. The song was later included on the group’s Christmas album which was released in 1981.

— Richard Johnson