Cover Culture : Jennifer Lara / Kyu Sakamoto – Sukiyaki

COVER VERSION VS ORIGINAL SONG

Since the early 1960s and even prior, numerous iconic Jamaican hits were derived from popular foreign songs. The original pop and soul tracks were frequently embraced by audiences on the island, leading reggae artists to create their own renditions. Some of these artists gained fame by covering chart-topping songs, turning these adaptations into timeless classics.

For instance, American artist Bill Withers recorded the Grammy-winning song Ain’t No Sunshine, which Horace Andy later adapted, while Dennis Brown’s rendition of Black Magic Woman originally came from Fleetwood Mac. These two examples represent just a small fraction of the many covers that have emerged over the past sixty-five years.

Since the advent of these adaptations, both Jamaican and international reggae musicians have persistently reimagined pop and soul hits, continuing this tradition into the present. You’re welcome to listen to both the original and the cover versions to determine which one resonates with you the most.

JENNIFER LARA

Jamaican songstress Jennifer Lara, who is related to Derrick Lara of The Tamlins, began her career as a backing vocalist at Studio One thanks to keyboardist Richard Ace’s introduction. After providing backing harmonies for prominent Studio One figures such as Delroy Wilson, Freddie McGregor, Dennis Brown, and Sugar Minott. In 1974, Jennifer Lara recorded the tracks for her debut album at Studio One but it wasn’t until 1981 that producer Coxsone Dodd decided to put out Studio One Presents Jennifer Lara, which was an instant success. That same year also saw the release of her single Sukiyaki. Unable to perform the original lyrics, she opted for the English version from A Taste of Honey, the Los Angeles band that achieved their second and final significant hit in 1961 with their remake of Sukiyaki. Jennifer Lara’s Sukiyaki wasn’t included in the initial release of her debut LP, but was later added to expanded CD reissue.

KYU SAKAMOTO

Sukiyaki is a song by Japanese crooner Kyu Sakamoto, first released in Japan in 1961. Originally titled Ue o Muite Aruko, the song topped the charts in a number of countries. Sukiyaki grew to become one of the world’s best-selling singles of all time, selling over 13 million copies worldwide. The song, although happy-sounding, has a less cheerful message. The lyrics tell the story of a man who looks up and whistles while he is walking so that his tears will not fall, with the verses describing his memories and feelings. Japanese lyricist Rokusuke Ei wrote the lyrics while walking home from participating in the 1960 Anpo protests against the US–Japan Security Treaty, expressing his frustration and dejection at the failed efforts to stop the treaty. However, the lyrics were purposely generic so that they might refer to any lost love. Kyu Sakamoto died on 12 August 1985 in the crash of Japan Air Lines Flight 123.