Bob Marley to Davido: King Charles releases playlist of favorite music and artists

Music “has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories flooding back from the deepest recesses of our memory, to comfort us in times of sadness, and to take us to distant places,” Charles said in a podcast on Apple Music, “The King’s Music Room,” released in conjunction with the playlist.

Charles, who as the British monarch is head of the Commonwealth, a club of 56 nations that were mostly part of the British Empire, put out the playlist to mark Commonwealth Day, celebrated on the second Monday in March with events across member countries.

He was photographed at Buckingham Palace for the music project, named the King's Music Room, with an "on air" sign on the desk of the royal DJ.

A video trailer shows the band for the changing of the guard outside the palace playing Bob Marley's Could You Be Loved.

While the playlist primarily featured artists from the Commonwealth, he included a few from outside the group, citing a personal connection to their music.

Through his choices, the royal praises artists such as Beyoncé and Kylie Minogue for their support of his King’s Trust (formerly the Prince’s Trust), and remembers his travels to the Caribbean, where he met Bob Marley and his widow Rita Marley. 

Charles also recalls seeing Raye perform at the Apple HQ in Battersea in December.

Nigerian singer Davido also featured on the King's playlist, with his popular song "Kante", featuring Fave, making the royal cut.

The King remarked, "But perhaps, above all, (music) can lift our spirits to such a degree, and all the more so when it brings us together in celebration; In other words, it brings us joy."

The project is intended to be a different approach to Commonwealth Day, which sees the Royal Family gathering for a service in Westminster Abbey.

It will reflect the King's musical interests through his life, ranging from 1930s crooners to Afrobeat stars.

He is also expected to share anecdotes about some of the artists and reveals why the songs help form the soundtrack to his life.

"This seemed such an interesting and innovative way to celebrate this year's Commonwealth Day," the King said.