WHILE watching an Amy Winehouse video on YouTube last year, Sharon Forrester came upon a song by American singer Iyeoka called Simply Falling . Though released in 2010, the veteran artiste was hearing it for the first time.

According to Forrester, “The moment I heard this song it resonated with me. The lyrics are simple but beautifully crafted.”

She pitched the idea of a reggae version to producer Willie Lindo, a long-time collaborator. He agreed and directed Forrester on her version of Simply Falling, which was released early this month.

“I did not try any other style of music. When I heard Simply Falling I knew it would make a great reggae version,” she recalled.

Forrester’s take on Iyeoka’s soulful single is somewhat of a comeback, as she has recorded sporadically in recent years. She was most active during the 1970s and 1980s when working with producers Geoffery Chung and Dianne Ellis.

Chung produced Silly Wasn’t I, her biggest success to date, which came in 1973. Six years later, Ellis produced her cover of Love Don’t Live Here Anymore, originally done by American rhythm and blues group Rose Royce.

Forrester, who lives in South Florida, stressed the importance of staying current.

“It is very important for me to stay abreast of my contemporaries and also new artistes and trends. Music is an endless reservoir of creative energy and power. Through talented artistes, music continues to emerge in unexpected ways that can positively affect the human spirit,” she said.

Born in Kingston, Sharon Forrester started her career in the early 1970s, recording radio jingles shortly after graduating from The Queen’s School. It was during that period that she first met Chung, then a driving force behind the Now Generation Band.

He produced Silly Wasn’t I, a reggae cover of a song first done by Valerie Simpson of Ashford and Simpson fame. In addition to her solo work, Forrester had a prolific run as a backup singer, working with acts like Alpha Blondy on his album Yitzhak Rabin, and Bushman on his breakthrough song, Remember The Days.

Simply Falling hears Forrester renewing ties with Lindo who played guitar on Love Don’t Live Here Anymore. He also produced her songs, Jamaican Man and Johnny.