Shenseea Says She Added “Shenyeng Seasoning” To Her Cover Of Bob Marley’s ‘No Woman No Cry’ — Listen
Jamaican singer Shenseaa has joined the ranks of over 80 artists who have covered Bob Marley and The Wailers’ iconic song No Woman, No Cry since it was first released in 1974.
Released on February 16 via Tuff Gong and Island Records (a label under Universal Music), Shenseea’s cover of the track appeared on the deluxe version of the Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film album. The 10-track collection also features Skip Marley on the song Exodus, Mystic Marley on Misty Morning, and Wizkid on One Love.
According to Shenseea, the intent was to infuse her cover, produced by We Good and Z3N, with her own style without straying too far from the song’s iconic roots.
“I added my own Shenyeng seasoning, you know, a little flavour,” she said. “But I didn’t change it up too much. I wanted to keep it real iconic and real original as well.”
The 27-year-old singer is signed to Rich Immigrants and Interscope Records, another label under Universal Music.
Despite the pressure of interpreting such a revered song, she expressed excitement rather than nervousness, viewing it as an opportunity to make the song her own. “I was having fun…I feel like if I got the opportunity to do so, I should make it my own and just have fun with it. It’s already mine, there is nothing to be nervous about.”
No Woman, No Cry was previously covered by artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Nina Simone, Jimmy Cliff, The Fugees, Boney M, Hugh Masekela, Ken Boothe, PM Dawn and more, according to WhoSampled.
In 2022, Nigerian singer Tems covered the song for the Marvel Studios film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Her version reached No. 1 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart, and No. 7 on the US Billboard Afrobeats Songs Chart. The following year, she won the NAACP Image Award for Oustanding International Song with her cover of Marley’s song.
Written by Marley and his friend Vincent “Tata” Ford, the song was first released on October 25, 1974, on the Natty Dread album. A year later, a live recording of the track from the album Live!, which took place at the Lyceum Theatre in London during Marley’s Natty Dread Tour, was released as a single. It spent nine weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 22, and became the best-known version of the song. It was included in several compilation albums, including the Diamond-selling Legend in 1984.
In April 2022, No Woman, No Cry became the fifth Bob Marley & The Wailers single to be certified platinum in the UK.
While walking the red carpet at the Bob Marley: One Love premiere in Los Angeles, California last week, Shenseea told Lexi Chow, CEO of Coda Network, that her involvement in the project was a must-do.
“It was a moment, I was telling my team I have to be a part of this, it’s a must, you know,” she said.
“We had some obstacles we had to hurdle over, but we made it, and we are here, and I am just super-grateful, I am happy to my team, I am happy to God, I am just grateful…big up to the Marley family for sure,” Shenseea added.
Here is the complete track listing for Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film (Deluxe):
- “Natural Mystic” by Bloody Civilian
- “Exodus” by Skip Marley
- “Waiting in Vain” by Daniel Caesar
- “Three Little Birds” by Kacey Musgraves
- “One Love” by Wizkid
- “Is This Love” by Jessie Reyez
- “Redemption Song” by Leon Bridges
- “Rasta Reggae (Jamming)” by Farruko
- “Misty Morning” by Mystic Marley
- “No Woman No Cry” by Shenseea
