The beloved kids show Reading Rainbow relaunched this past weekend with a new host, and Vancouver-based artist Bukola had the honour of reimagining the iconic theme song.
“I still can’t believe I get to say that I’m the singer of the new Reading Rainbow theme!” the artist wrote via email. “It’s such an honour.”
The original Reading Rainbow theme song was written by Steve Horlick, Dennis Neil Kleinman and Janet Weir for the show’s 1983 debut, and was sung by Tina Fabrique for its first 16 years. Bahamian singer Johnny Kemp sang a second version for a short time, and the third version of the show’s theme song was sung by Chaka Khan until it came off the air in 2006.
LISTEN | Tina Fabrique sings the original version of the Reading Rainbow theme:
Bukola said she grew up watching the show, originally hosted by LeVar Burton, with her sister when they were younger, adding that her sister and dad were “so obsessed with the theme song that they would sing it all around the house.”
The Nigerian Canadian artist first got an email from a contact she’d met through the Vancouver International Film Festival Amp program, which connects emerging artists with film industry folks, saying that Sony was working on a reboot of Reading Rainbow and wondering if Bukola would be interested in recording a demo. The answer was obviously yes, and about a month after she submitted her version, Bukola got the job.
“I worked with my vocal coach, Lorraine Lawson, and my producer, Anthony Anderson, to come up with a version of the song that paid homage to the original, whilst putting a little spin on it that felt authentic to my artistry,” she explained.
“I think one of my favourite parts of the recording process was adding all the vocal layers and harmonies, which made our version feel really magical. I also have to give a huge shoutout to Steve Smith, who did such a beautiful job mixing the song.”
LISTEN | Bukola sings the new version of the Reading Rainbow theme:
The reboot of Reading Rainbow kicked off on Oct. 4, with the first of four episodes airing on YouTube. The episode introduces everyone to new host Mychal Threets, more widely known as Mychal the Librarian, and features The Hangover Part II and III actor Jamie Chung and The Bear‘s Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who shows kids how they can read to cats at a local animal shelter.
Bukola’s theme song, with the original lyrics in place, is a perfect introduction to the series’ new chapter.
“Listening to [Tina Fabrique’s] recording and various live performances always felt like a warm hug,” she said. “I knew that I wanted the people who listened to the new version to also feel like they were being wrapped in a warm embrace when they heard the song.”
WATCH | Bukola performs her own music at CBC Music’s Road to the Junos series:
