The popular children’s program, Reading Rainbow, made a comeback recently with a new host, and artist Bukola from Vancouver had the privilege of creating a fresh rendition of the iconic theme song.
Expressing her excitement via email, Bukola shared, “I am still in disbelief that I am the vocalist for the new Reading Rainbow theme! It is a tremendous honor.” The original theme song for Reading Rainbow was composed by Steve Horlick, Dennis Neil Kleinman, and Janet Weir for the show’s debut in 1983. Tina Fabrique lent her vocals to the song for the first 16 years, followed by Bahamian singer Johnny Kemp and later by Chaka Khan until the show went off the air in 2006.
Having grown up watching the show hosted by LeVar Burton with her sister, Bukola reminisced about how her family would sing the theme song around the house. She was approached by a contact from the Vancouver International Film Festival Amp program, which connects emerging artists with industry professionals, regarding a reboot of Reading Rainbow by Sony. After submitting a demo, Bukola landed the opportunity to record the theme song.
Collaborating with her vocal coach, Lorraine Lawson, and producer, Anthony Anderson, Bukola crafted a version that paid homage to the original while incorporating her artistic touch. She particularly enjoyed adding vocal layers and harmonies to create a magical rendition. The reboot of Reading Rainbow commenced on Oct. 4 with the first of four episodes airing on YouTube, featuring the new host Mychal Threets, known as Mychal the Librarian, alongside actors Jamie Chung and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Bukola’s rendition of the theme song, staying true to the original lyrics, serves as a fitting introduction to the show’s new era. She aimed to evoke the same warm and comforting feeling that listeners experienced with Tina Fabrique’s rendition, wanting the audience to feel embraced by the music.