Simone’s 'Então É Natal' Turns 30 as Brazil’s Seasonal Staple

Overview

• Simone and Universal Music launched a commemorative website to collect fans’ memories of the 1995 album 25 de Dezembro.
• The record, widely heard every holiday season, is being reappraised as a pioneering Brazilian Christmas release with more affection than dislike.
• 'Então É Natal' adapts John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' into Portuguese, and Simone says Yoko Ono authorized the version.
• G1 attributes the initial public backlash to an aggressive 1995 marketing push orchestrated by PolyGram executive Marcos Maynard.
• Simone recalls facing criticism and says she was prevented from singing in some places, while also citing strong early sales for the album.