Newcastle singer Grego Pillay is our very own Michael Buble.
Grego, of Cameron Park, has released a new Christmas album. This coincides with Buble releasing a music video for his new track Christmas Sweater.
We hoped to see Grego in a Christmas sweater, but next to the Christmas tree is OK.
The thing we love about Grego's album is he sings classic Christmas songs like Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark The Herald Angels Sing and Joy to the World.
We would have liked to see We Three Kings and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen [Hint hint Grego, maybe next album?].
The album, titled Carols with Grego Pillay, reflects his love of the spirit of Christmas.
"I always wanted to do a Christmas album and I love the spirit of Christmas and the message of the Christmas story," he said.
Grego said music was "a carrier of memories".
"Music is an integral part of who I am. Just the process of creating music enables me to see the world for what it is and for what it can become. I strongly believe music can change the world for good," he said.
"I sing because it is one of the greatest ways of expressing myself in a very meaningful way. Singing is my passion. We need more musos in our world."
Grego, pastor for the Wyee and Boolaroo Seventh Day Adventist churches, said Christmas for him marked the birth of "Christ the saviour".
"I don't believe that Jesus was born on December 25. There is no evidence for that in the Bible and many biblical scholars would agree. He was probably born in July in Palestine," he said.
Grego also celebrates the meaning of the Christmas story.
"It's a message of hope, peace and reconciliation," he said.
"The main focus is the story of Jesus, not only his birth but his life, death and resurrection."
He said Christmas at its heart was also "a time for family and relationships". His wife and two children live in Australia with him, but his extended family is in South Africa.
He believes Christianity receives "bad press in today's culture".
The values of the Christian faith, he says, include "unconditional love", which "the world desperately needs".
"Faith, hope and love - these three Christian virtues are what inspires my music."
Grego is also lead pastor of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in the South Pacific. He was born in India and grew up in South Africa during apartheid.
"Apartheid was a crime against humanity," he said, adding that society was "highly segregated in all spheres of life, from entertainment to education to who you can marry".
"You shake your head and come away saying, boy, how did I survive that?
"It was very difficult in those days."
Thank God for the Salvos
The Salvation Army has launched its annual Christmas appeal to support "Aussies doing it tough during the festive season".
The Salvos expect this year to "reach a new peak under the pressure of the pandemic".
Donate at salvationarmy.org.au or call 13 SALVOS (13 72 58).
Merry Christmas
What date is it socially acceptable to start wishing people a merry Christmas? Well, it is December 1 today. How about that? Merry Christmas to you all! Too early?
- topics@newcastleherald.com.au
