Cynthia Basinet is a celebrated author, iconic fashion model, incredibly gifted actress, and vocal powerhouse whose vocal dexterity has made her be compared with legendary female voices of all time. The story of her rendition of Eartha Kitt’s timeless classic, “Santa Baby,” is quite fascinating. She recorded this jam as a Christmas gift for her lover, Jack Nicholson, back in 1997. At the time, she could not have envisioned the international buzz the song would go on to generate, albeit with many listeners mistakenly attributing this cover to Marilyn Monroe instead of Cynthia, who was less known at the time. Well, two and a half decades later, it still feels like listeners are still convinced that it is the late Monroe’s voice!
Despite initial challenges, including the track being stolen and distributed under false identities, this song has come a long way, and Cynthia’s recognition now feels long overdue!
The statistics don’t lie; they show a phenomenal global hit that remains reminiscent of the original, featuring Cynthia’s strong, jazzy voice skimming through the intricate and delicate foundation, exuding both nostalgia and warmth.
Cynthia respectfully honors the original and maintains the tongue-in-cheek tone of someone who wants quite the extravagant Christmas gifts all for themselves, while using her vocal adroitness as a springboard to steer the jam in her inventive direction…the result is this charmer that has taken the world by surprise. Perhaps this disbelief contributes to why many still mistakenly attribute the song to Monroe, unable to believe an emerging voice in 1997 could achieve such acclaim.
And with songs like these naturally dominating the airwaves, especially during December, I know I speak for so many when I say it’s about that time that Cynthia is fully recognized and applauded for her vocal proficiency that makes this jam so special and alluring.
If you haven’t already interacted with this jam, consider this your lucky day and chance, because what you are about to lend your ears to will captivate and spellbind you in equal measure!
To keep up with the latest developments from Cynthia Basinet, including her podcast, “The World According to Cynthia”, follow her on all her official social media platforms.