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Music kept me going through the lonely process of writing my debut novel, The Confessions of Frannie Langton. Many of the songs on this playlist featured on my Frannie playlist, including Kendrick Lamar, Nina Simone and Jay-Z. Some are copied from the launch-party playlist my kids made, which was particularly heavy on dancehall and reggae.
I must give credit for the other contributions of my four daughters, Shani, Christiana, Marianne and Nyah (aged between 19-26). When I was putting the list together I reached out to our family group chat and I was flooded with suggestions, representing a musical evolution, from Motown to Stormzy. It would have been a pretty slim list without their help!
When I was a young girl, our family celebrations weren't complete without either reggae or country music playing in the background. That's how it was in the Caribbean: the music was as important as the food. I remember my dad, who was a barrister, getting ready for court in the mornings. Either a Bob Marley album would be playing, or my dad would be singing one of his songs.
I remember bursting with pride that Marley had come from the same small island I came from, and was so universally admired. Everyone had heard of him. It was a rare example (at that time) of Jamaican excellence being recognised on the world stage, and reminded me that there was no limit to what we could do - that we didn't have to take anyone's word for that but our own.
Music has historically been a way for Black people to express ourselves that wasn’t as easily policed as, for example, reading or writing. It has been a way to communicate, to celebrate, to protest, to commemorate – to be reminded of the joy of being alive, and of being Black.
Sara's playlist
Respect
Aretha Franklin
I Say a Little Prayer
Aretha Franklin
Feeling Good
Nina Simone
I Wish I Knew How It Feels to be Free
Nina Simone
To Be Young Gifted and Black
Nina Simone
Strange Fruit
Billie Holiday
Ex-Factor
Lauryn Hill
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
Lauryn Hill
Cranes in the Sky
Solange
Shea Butter Baby
Ari Lennox and J Cole
If I Ain’t Got You
Alicia Keys
This is America
Childish Gambino
Redbone
Childish Gambino
Midnight Train to Georgia
Gladys Knight
Apple Tree
Erykah Badu
On and On
Erykah Badu
Window Seat
Erykah Badu
One is a Magic Number
Jill Scott
I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston
I Wanna Dance with Somebody
Whitney Houston
Roses
OutKast
HeyYa!
OutKast
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
1999
Prince
Purple Rain
Prince
All For You
Janet Jackson
Needed Me
Rihanna
Love on the Brain
Rihanna
Wicked in Bed
Shabba Ranks
Ring-a-Ling
Shabba Ranks
Murderer
Barrington Levy
Too Experienced
Barrington Levy
Murder She Wrote
Chaka Demus and Pliers
Til Shiloh
Buju Banton
Who am I
Beenie man
Waiting in Vain
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Sun is Shining
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Get Up Stand Up
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Champion
Buju Banton
Punkie
Sean Paul
No Games
Serani
Smile Jamaica
Chronixx
Here Comes Trouble
Chronixx
Night Nurse
Gregory Isaacs
She’s Royal
Tarrus Riley
Caution
Damian Marley
Nail Pon Cross
Damian Marley
Patience
Nas and Damian Marley
Bam Bam
Sister Nancy
Tempted to Touch
Beres Hammond
Fantastic Voyage
Coolio
Hip Hop Hooray
Naughty by Nature
The Choice is Yours
Black Sheep
Hypnotise
Biggie
Juicy
Biggie
Nuthin’ But a “G” Thang
Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg
Paid In Full
Eric B and Rakim
Fuck Da Police
NWA
I Get Around
2Pac and Digital Underground
If I Ruled the World
Nas and Lauryn Hill
No Church in the Wild
Kanye West and Jay Z
Formation
Beyoncé
ALREADY
Beyoncé, Shatta Wale and Major Lazer
Work It
Missy Elliott
Waterfalls
TLC
No Scrubs
TLC
Lose My Breath
Destiny’s Child
Glory
John Legend and Common
DNA
Kendrick Lamar
What’s Going On
Marvin Gaye
Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud
James brown
Put Your Records On
Corinne Bailey Rae
Like a Star
Corinne Bailey Rae
Lost & Found
Lianne La Havas
What You Don’t Do
Lianne La Havas
Crown
Stormzy
Rainfall
Stormzy and Tiana Major9
Bronze
Stormzy
No One Knows Me Like the Piano
Sampha
Blood On Me
Sampha
Blue Lights
Jorja Smith
A Prince
Jorja Smith
Simmer
Mahalia and Burna Boy
No Pressure
Mahalia
16 Shots
Stefflon Don
My Hood
Ray BLK
Boo’d Up
Ella Mai
Trip
Ella Mai
No Ordinary Love
Sade
Your Love is King
Sade
For Black History Month, we asked Black British authors at Penguin to celebrate the things that bring them joy.
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