Reservoir Media has struck a deal to acquire rights to the recorded music catalog of José Feliciano, the singer, guitarist and songwriter behind “Feliz Navidad.” The Nasdaq-listed company announced the deal from New York on October 21, 2026, and it also includes non-exclusive rights to Feliciano's name, image and likeness.
What is and isn't known
Reservoir did not disclose the price, and its announcement did not specify which recordings are included, Music Business Worldwide reported. MBW noted that Feliciano's best-known recordings, including “Light My Fire” and “Feliz Navidad,” were originally released by RCA Victor. Feliciano was represented by broker Denny Marte of MPA Advisors, Jay Stollman of Jay Stollman Entertainment and attorney Brett Green.
“I'm excited to be in partnership with the talented Reservoir Team, ensuring the enjoyment of my music for generations to come,” Feliciano said in the company's release.
Reservoir executive vice president and global creative director Donna Caseine said Feliciano's gift “extends far beyond the accomplished hit ‘Feliz Navidad,’” adding that his catalog has “countless bilingual recordings that helped popularize Latin music with a global audience.” Founder and CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi said the company had “focused concertedly on expanding our portfolio of Latin music” in 2026.
More than six decades of music
Born in Lares, Puerto Rico, and raised in New York City's Spanish Harlem, Feliciano was born blind and taught himself guitar as a child, then played Greenwich Village as a teenager. He signed with RCA Victor by 1964. His 1968 version of The Doors' “Light My Fire” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won him Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Performance, Male, MBW reported. That same year he sang the national anthem at the World Series.
He wrote and recorded “Feliz Navidad” in 1970. The original recording entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010, and in May 2026 the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry. Reservoir says it returns to the charts every holiday season; MBW reported it peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100 on the chart dated January 2, 2021. Feliciano also wrote and performed the theme to Chico and the Man, played on records by John Lennon, Joni Mitchell and Bill Withers, and has released more than 60 albums, according to the release.
Reservoir's busy October
The deal arrives two days after Reservoir announced it had acquired jazz composer Billy Strayhorn's publishing catalog, a deal that also gives it a share in Strayhorn's name, image and likeness rights alongside his estate, MBW reported. Reservoir also runs recorded music through Chrysalis Records and Tommy Boy Music, according to its release.