From Kylie to Bob Marley: King Charles reveals his favourite music in new playlist
His Majesty King Charles III and Apple Music have collaborated to launch The King’s Music Room, his playlist drawing inspiration from the Commonwealth. The project was initiated when the monarch invited Apple to Buckingham Palace to discuss his personal selection of music to mark this year’s Commonwealth Day. As a result, the broadcast features a range of songs from artists such as Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue, Anoushka Shankar, Raye, Siti Nurhaliza and Diana Ross, all introduced with anecdotes about his own experiences with the talent over the decades.
In his introduction, he says: “Music… can lift our spirits to such a degree, and all the most so when it brings us together in celebration. In other words, it brings us joy.” He pays tribute to the Windrush Generation “whose gifts have so greatly enriched our country,” and the “wonderfully diverse tapestry that makes up the modern Commonwealth, with its rich pattern of cultures that it continues to share with peoples across the entire world.”
In one excerpt, His Majesty prefaces Grace Jones’s version of La Vie en Rose. “It can be easy to take a rosy view of the past, but it’s not easy to take a rosy view of everything unless of course – as this next song shows – you are in love,” he says, before going on to explain his encounter with the singer. “Is it possible to improve on such a classic song? See what you think…”
Interspersed with his comforting voice and droll humour, the broadcast, which is executively produced by Eva Omaghomi, the King’s former director of global community engagement, uncovers a more personal side as it follows a similar model to patronising the arts as The Queen’s Reading Room. He also takes the opportunity to celebrate the work of the King's Trust, formerly the Prince's Trust, which celebrates its 50th year, with longtime supporter Beyoncé's Crazy in Love. “Apple Music Radio is where culture is happening worldwide,” said Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s global head of content and editorial, “and we are honoured that King Charles III chose to share his personal playlist with us.”
It’s an apt forum for expressing the breadth of music from the Commonwealth, as artists with heritage from countries such as Ghana, Malaysia and Jamaica take precedence. “The Commonwealth has produced more than its fair share of wonderful songs, singers and musicians,” said Errollyn Wallen, the Master of the King’s Music Room. “And this fun and eclectic collection is a great reminder of this treasure trove of creativity.
The King’s Music Room is available on Apple Music 1 and on demand with an Apple Music subscription.
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