The popular children’s program Reading Rainbow made a comeback recently with a fresh host, and Vancouver-based artist Bukola had the privilege of reimagining the iconic theme song.
Expressing her excitement via email, the artist shared, “I still can’t believe I get to say that I’m the singer of the new Reading Rainbow theme! It’s such an honor.”
Originally composed by Steve Horlick, Dennis Neil Kleinman, and Janet Weir for the show’s debut in 1983, the Reading Rainbow theme song was sung by Tina Fabrique for the first 16 years. Subsequently, Bahamian singer Johnny Kemp and Chaka Khan each performed different versions until the show went off the air in 2006.
Bukola reminisced about watching the show, hosted by LeVar Burton, alongside her sister in their youth. She mentioned that her sister and father were so enamored with the theme song that they would sing it throughout the house.
The Nigerian Canadian artist was approached by a contact she met through the Vancouver International Film Festival Amp program, which links emerging artists with industry professionals. Sony was working on a Reading Rainbow reboot and asked if Bukola would be interested in recording a demo. After submitting her version, she landed the job about a month later.
Collaborating with her vocal coach, Lorraine Lawson, and producer, Anthony Anderson, Bukola aimed to create a rendition that paid homage to the original while infusing her artistic style. She particularly enjoyed adding vocal layers and harmonies, which gave their version a magical quality. Mixing the song was expertly handled by Steve Smith.
The revamped Reading Rainbow premiered on Oct. 4, with the first of four episodes airing on YouTube. The new host, Mychal Threets, known as Mychal the Librarian, welcomed guests such as Jamie Chung from The Hangover Part II and III and Ebon Moss-Bachrach from The Bear, who demonstrated reading to cats at a local animal shelter.
Bukola’s rendition of the theme song, featuring the original lyrics, sets the tone for the show’s new era. She aimed to evoke the same comforting feeling as listening to Tina Fabrique’s rendition, wanting listeners of the new version to feel embraced by the song.
For more of Bukola’s music, check out her performance at CBC Music’s Road to the Junos series.
