Cynthia Lee Fontaine Is Dreaming of a Cucu Christmas

RuPaul’s Drag Race star and “Miss Congeniality” winner Cynthia Lee Fontaine shines as a glorious Navidad queen in her debut Christmas original “Bring Me the Holidays.”

Released last month and co-written by her boyfriend Armando Barrientos, the jazzy ballad is sung in English and Spanish. The video ushers in the joyous spirit of the holiday season, whisking audiences on a magical journey through an enchanted Christmas forest.

“I am walking around like a White Witch receiving all the beautiful energy and connecting back to the roots of what Christmas means,” Fontaine says. “I am taking people on a journey to receive Christmas in another way.”

According to Fontaine, the single has received nothing but love and support from listeners. She hopes it provides them some sort of relief.

“We have been living in a pandemic for almost two years,” she says. “COVID-19 has affected us all in a negative way. Some of us caught the virus while others lost a family member, friends, or someone close. We’ve lost jobs and opportunities. This is something we have never experienced before. With all this commotion and negativity that we are going through, I hope this song can be like a refresh button. Christmas is supposed to be very spiritual and beautiful. That’s the main purpose of this song.”

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Fontaine has always held the Christmas season close to her heart.

“It was a time of year where I got the opportunity to gather with my family,” she explains. “See them, hug them, kiss them—Puerto Ricans are very expressive and loud, you know? I love that about my culture, and it is all about that beautiful vibe of reuniting with people you don’t see all year round. Just celebrating a beautiful holiday with love and prosperity. I reflect fondly on my childhood memories with my family in Puerto Rico. Amo a mi familia!”

One of her favorite Christmas memories was when she was 5 years old.

“My two big sisters and big brother were living in Orlando, Florida when I was a kid,” Fontaine recalls. “They came for Christmas that year and surprised us. That was in 1987. I will always remember that day of receiving them as a surprise, and it remains one of my most cherished Christmas presents.”

Naturally, Fontaine also holds a deep love for the island. She says there is nothing like a Puerto Rican Christmas.

“The community will gather with musicians and people will visit every single family member’s house,” she says. “When you stop at a relative’s house, there will be food and music all night long. You do this all throughout December. On Christmas Eve, we would prepare a turkey and a lechon (roast pig), a very traditional dish in Puerto Rico. Around midnight, the adults would celebrate with hugs and kisses and then check on the children to make sure we were sleeping because Papa Noel would be coming soon.

“Early Christmas morning, the children would wake to presents under the tree, and after opening all the gifts, we would gather for our traditional breakfast with the leftovers from Christmas Eve dinner,” Fontaine continues. “Then, in January, we celebrate the three magic kings, and then we have Las Octavitas, where we celebrate Christmas for eight more days. It was always so much fun, and I think that’s a huge difference in comparison to how other countries celebrate the holidays.”

This year, Fontaine will be spending the holidays with both her and Barrientos’ family.

Being in a relationship for three years, “Bring Me the Holidays” was the first time she has ever worked with Barrientos creatively. Fontaine admits that she was initially nervous, but they developed a great working partnership.

“We are both very passionate about music and the holidays,” she says. “He’s a professional singer too, and it was a beautiful combination to work with him. The creative process was very fun.”

As for future projects, Fontaine plans to release more singles, collaborations, and hopes to release a full EP soon.

Click HERE to stay up-to-date and connect with Fontaine. “Bring Me the Holidays” is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and all other streaming platforms.

Photos Courtesy of Chris Tyler